


Private Jam Session: I Could Even Learn How To Love Like You

by DarrowFire15



Category: The Muppet Show, The Muppets (TV 2015), The Muppets - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Fluff and Angst, M/M, private jam session
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:27:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 38,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26286433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarrowFire15/pseuds/DarrowFire15
Summary: (Originally from my Wattpad account)Zoot has been with the Electric Mayhem from the beginning. When the Muppets parted, it seemed like the end for the band, until years later when Kermit and his new friend Walter brought them back together along with an old friend. This old friend has sparked something more than friendship in this burned-out man's heart, but will it last? Read this story to see what lies ahead of the group and their relationships.(Takes place after Muppets: Most Wanted)I don't own the Muppets, they belong to Jim Henson and DisneyI own nothing but the story.The Electric Mayhem belongs to Jim Henson
Relationships: Janice/Floyd Pepper, Lips/Zoot (Muppets)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	1. The Meeting

_**Words: 982** _

_Back when they first met Lips..._

"Whoa man, you OK?"

"I think he, like, killed him".

"KILLED HIM, KILLED HIM!"

"Cut that out, Animal. He ain't dead!"

"Like, my healing crystal is working! He's waking up!"

The world slowly shone through the shaggy-haired man's eyes. Where was he? Why does his head hurt? Why is there a rock floating above him? Why is there a red-haired monster in his face? Wait, red-haired monster? The slight ringing in his ears clears away as he sits up and the red monster is pulled back.

"You OK there, man?" asked a green-skinned man with a shining gold tooth.

"Animal hit him, like, really hard," chimed in a girl with straight blonde hair holding a small rock. A blue-haired man with sunglasses held his hand out to the shaggy blonde. What was his own name? He looks around to see an instrument case laying next to him. He took the blue-haired man's hand and stood up. The man with the gold tooth held out a binder full of papers. To his left was the red monster held back by a metal chain with a pink-skinned man at the other end.

"Who are you people?" he asked.

"We am, is, are, and be, they whom are known as The Electric Mayhem" replied the pink-skinned man. The gold tooth man extended his arm and held out his hand.

"I am Dr. Teeth. Golden teeth and golden tones, welcome you to my presence, stranger" he says.

"I'm Janice. I'm lead guitar. Like, sorry for our friend," says the blonde. A silence fills the air for a second before the pink-skinned man chimed in.

"I'm Floyd. I blow bass," he says, "And this is Animal. Say sorry to him, Animal".

"SORRY!" screams the red monster. Sorry? Sorry for what?

"And, like, that's Zoot," says Janice, pointing at the blue-haired man with his hand shoved in his pockets. Audible snores sound from him. Dr. Teeth nudges Zoot awake and motions to introduce himself.

"What? Oh... Yeah. I'm Zoot... uh, sax is my ax," he says, completely oblivious to Janice's word from earlier. Zoot takes his hand out of his pocket and holds it out. The shaggy-haired man chuckled at him and shakes his hand. Zoot quickly pulls his hand back and shoves it back into his pocket.

"So, what's your name?" asked Floyd. At that point, everything slowly flooded back to him.

"They call me Lips," he started, "I can play the trumpet and I give lectures at- Oh shit!" The man, now known to the band as Lips, scrambled to grab his case and binder. Once he had a tight grip on both, he sprinted away.

"C'mon man, no 'Thank you'?" screamed Floyd. Janice and Zoot make their way back to the bus with Animal in hot pursuit for the back seat. Dr. Teeth and Floyd continue to glance in the direction Lips ran off to.

"Remind me to talk to him if we EVER run into him again," states Dr. Teeth before climbing into the driver's seat. Floyd only nods before joining Janice.

Meanwhile, Lips skids in front of a building that says "The Susquehanna School of Music and Hat Making". The bell will ring in a few minutes and he is going to be late! Lips runs through the halls, almost hitting a student or two until he gets in front of the backstage entrance. He takes a few deep breaths and messes up his already shaggy hair before opening the door and walking to the male dressing room. Setting down his case and music, Lips takes a few deep breaths from his long run.

"Lips, you're on in five," exclaims Marie. Lips gives her a thumbs up and ruffles his hair more.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The crowd applauds him as he grabs his music and trumpet and walks off the stage. Marie gives him a bottle of water and walks off. Lips sighs and begins to walk out of the building. As he does, a colorful bus passes in front of him. One of the windows is rolled down to reveal Janice poking her head out.

"Like, hey. It's the guy from before! Maybe he would want to join us," she exclaims before pulling her head back inside. It wasn't long until the bus brakes down the street and starts driving backward, stopping in front of Lips. He's suddenly pulled into the vehicle by Dr. Teeth and placed on the seat next to Zoot.

"Hello again, Lips. Nice of you to bump into us," says Dr. Teeth, beginning to drive. Lips, sitting awkwardly in the seat, looks around confusingly. Through his squinted eyes, he is still unable to comprehend what just happened. Floyd looks behind him and notices Lips' confusion.

"We'll explain everything in a bit, man. Just enjoy the ride until we get to the frog". Lips was hoping they explain or he will contact the authorities for kidnapping. Animal leans over the seat and stares at Lips as he adjusts his position. His heavy breathing and bad breath cause Lips to turn around, coming face-to-face with Animal once more. As a result, a slobbery kiss is given to Lips.

"GOODMAN, GOODMAN" exclaims Animal, jumping. The motion causes Zoot to wake from his nap.

"15! Don't hit me!" Zoot grips the seat with his hands. Lips gives him a confused look. Once Zoot processes his surroundings, he lets out a sigh and relaxes.

"Are you good?" Zoot nods, placing his hat on his face and falling asleep again.

"Can ya at least say where we're going?" Lips asks.

"The Muppet Theater. I'm surprised you don't know us," replies Dr. Teeth. Lips taps his fingers on his leg. He'd heard about them a little bit but didn't pay much attention to them. Maybe they need him for teaching or something. 

This is going to be a long ride...


	2. Here We Are in The Future

**Words: 1386**

_Fast forward after the whole Domonic Badguy thing..._

"LIPS! C'MON MAN, YOU'RE MISSING BREAKFAST!" screams Floyd, sitting at the dining table. Behind him is Janice brushing through his hair. Dr. Teeth sits across from him with a cup of coffee and the morning paper open on the table.

"Hey Zoot, could you wake up Lips? He might've slept with his headphones on again," asks Dr. Teeth. Zoot begrudgingly stands up from the couch and walks down the hall to Lips' room. After filming their two new movies and going on the world tour with the others, the band decided to settle down and buy a small, one-story house for them to stay in. It's in a quaint neighborhood where no one really minds their loud jam out sessions. Lips moved in with them a few weeks after because he got evicted from his apartment.

On Lips' door was a crooked sign that said his name in messy black paint. After knocking three times on his door, Zoot turns the door handle and pushes the door open to see Lips under the covers. His headphones lay next to him on his pillow along with an MP3 player. Lips is laying on his side, sleeping soundly. Zoot quietly walked over and shook Lips awake. His response was a muffled grumble.

"Hey man, breakfast is ready".

"Five more minutes".

"Get up or I'll drag you by your hair".

"You wouldn't dare".

In the small dining room, an audible thump is heard followed by several loud "Ow"s. Everyone's head turns to the hallway as Zoot walks in with a drowsy-looking Lips trailing behind, rubbing his head. That was one way to get the man up. He sits between Dr. Teeth and Zoot, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Big day today, guys. The frog wants us to clean two of the dressing rooms since the bear is busy. It's at 12:30," announces Dr. Teeth. A groan settles in the room, even from Animal who is gnawing at his drumstick.

"Hey Lips, it's your turn to take Animal on a walk," chimes in Floyd. The trumpet player stretches before grabbing some toast from Zoot and disappearing down the hall once more to change. Floyd's hair was in a low bun, courtesy of Janice when Lips walked back out.

"Are you sure you, like, don't need help?" asked Janice, remembering the last time Lips took Animal on his walk. After getting knocked out by Animal, eaten by a monster, hit with a door, run over by a motorcycle, and skinning his knees on the sidewalk from the last walk, no one in the band seems to know how the brass player is still alive. Lips opens the door with Animal's leash in hand.

"Valley Girl, I'm fine. I just need to keep him under control-" replies Lips before he is abruptly pulled out the front door. He pulls Animal back a bit to calm him and steady himself in the process. Behind him, the band watches in worry. Lips looks at them, giving a quick thumbs-up and cocky smirk before being dragged down the sidewalk.

"You sure he's gonna survive?" asks Zoot as he watches the duo barely miss a car driving by.

"Don't worry. Your boyfriend ain't gonna die yet," Dr. Teeth cheekily replies. Zoot stiffens up. Dr. Teeth started to use some awful dad jokes that Fozzy gave him. None of them were intentional, but Zoot couldn't shake the feeling off that it was intentional.

"I keep telling you, we aren't a thing," Zoot says back. Dr. Teeth just shrugs and goes back to his paper. Floyd and Janice go take the van to get a new string for Janice's guitar. Zoot adjusts his glasses and goes to practice his saxophone.

During that, Lips and Animal are already about three or four blocks away from the house. Animal already tried to start a dogfight and a catfight, tried to chase about five cars, and almost tried to bite someone. The only reason they stopped was that they got to a crosswalk and it was red. Lips stood next to Animal, catching his breath again. How much energy does this guy have? Oh yeah, infinite. Suddenly, his phone vibrated in his pocket. Surprising that it didn't fall out during the chaos. Zoot was calling him. The only time Zoot has needed to call Lips was when he completely forgot something, like his music, glasses, pants, etc. He picks up as the light turns green.

"Hello?"

"Hey man. Do you remember where I put my suit?"

"From the orchestra?"

"Yeah, that one".

"In the closet, I think. Why?"

"Nigel needs it. Says that he's gonna give us some new stuff to wear".

"Sounds... cool".

"Thanks again, man. See ya".

"Yeah, see ya".

Lips sighs, putting his phone back into his pocket. Sometimes he wished the saxophone player would talk about something interesting like friends do. So far, Zoot has only called for forgotten things. Hopefully, they'll rekindle their friendship again. There has been no break from shooting their two recent movies and once they did have a break, it was full of cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. It technically wasn't their fault that the studio was a mess, being abandoned for years.

"Animal... tired..." said Animal, who was surprisingly out of breath for the first time.

"Alright, Wild Man. Let's get ya home," said Lips. The duo began their walk home. Once they were standing in front of their house, Animal passed out on the lawn. Lips dragged him inside, dropping the leash once they both passed through the front door. Lips walks to the couch and plops himself onto the cushions.

"Ow! Hey man, I'm sleeping here," sounded the agitated voice of Zoot. Lips scrambled to get off of the saxophonist. On the couch was Zoot, laying on his back. He probably just got to the couch before Lips came home.

"Sorry, man. Didn't see ya there," Lips apologizes, mumbling most of it. He walks to his room, leaving Zoot feeling a bit guilty about his tone of voice. Usually, the two were the closest of friends. That was before the band split with Animal going to therapy and Lips going back to give lectures at the school. They tried to keep in touch, but each conversation ended in either awkwardness or guilt. There was a good hour of silence before the sweet sound of a trumpet was heard. What was the tune? Barnyard Boogie, the first song Lips ever played onstage in Season five. Zoot couldn't help but hum along to the upbeat tune.

"Like, we're back!" announces Janice. Floyd walks in behind her, noticing Zoot on the couch.

"Have you been resting on the couch this entire time?" asked Floyd, leaning over the back of it. Zoot shrugs, still humming the tune. Floyd and Janice recognize the upbeat song and add their own part with Zoot and Lips' faint playing. Suddenly, the trumpet playing stops, and Lips walks out of his room, trumpet in hand, to see Janice, Floyd, and Zoot humming and scatting Barnyard Boogie. Eventually, Dr. Teeth heard the noise and joined Lips in watching. The trio finally noticed Lips and Dr. Teeth standing at the doorway after they went through the whole song.

"That was amazing. A fantabulous throwback to the good old days!" exclaimed Dr. Teeth, grinning.

"Fer sure. The aura was really green right there," replied Janice with Floyd laughing. Zoot looks over and gives Lips a small smile. The little gesture made Lips start fiddling with his trumpet. First the valves, then the water key, and finally the mouthpiece and back around again. His gaze seemed to linger on Zoot's glasses. Zoot seemed stuck staring right back, watching the shaggy blonde messing around his trumpet absent-mindedly. Animal's scream in the backyard snaps both of them from their trances as the red-haired drummer runs inside with both drumsticks in his mouth.

"Animal play fetch! Play fetch! Play fetch!" he screamed, almost knocking Floyd into Janice. Floyd lets out a chuckle and goes to the backyard to play with Animal with Janice following behind.

"Alright, we'll leave in half an hour to get to the studio," says Dr. Teeth before walking back to his room. Zoot nods in acknowledgment and Lips goes to put his instrument away. 


	3. Something There That Wasn't There Before

**Words: 1440**

The group makes their way into the theater. Their job: cleaning the dressing rooms. Inside, many other muppets are working on their own thing, from Scooter managing the lights to Kermit writing the next script.

"Alright, team," starts Floyd, "Me, Janice, and Animal will take the guest star's dressing room. You guys can take the pig's room".

"I'll make, like, some of those cupcakes you guys love after this," chimes in Janice. The trio enters the dressing room, leaving Dr. Teeth, Lips, and Zoot standing outside. Dr. Teeth lets out a heavy sigh and grabs a nearby broom. Lips walks up to the door, opens it, and turns on the light. The room has stayed the same from the last time Miss Piggy was in it. The only difference was that everything was faded and either covered in spider webs or a thick layer of dust.

"Let's get to work, shall we?" says Dr. Teeth, beginning to sweep the floor. Zoot, holding a duster, begins to dust the table, chairs, etc. Lips lets out a sigh and begins to remove all the faded clothes and curtains. While removing one of the frilly pink curtains, he loses his balance and falls backward, knocking the other men to the ground. A cloud of dust flies into the air and dissipates.

"This isn't working, is it?" asks Zoot. The other men agree and stand up to dust themselves off. Sam stands at the doorway with papers in his wings. He gives them a questioning look before scoffing and walking away.

"Sorry, guys. Lost my footing there," Lips apologizes, laughing a bit. Dr. Teeth and Zoot grab their cleaning item and start to work once more, ignoring their friend's comment. So much for teamwork.

After a good two hours, both parties are finished with cleaning the rooms. Floyd and Janice are outside getting some fresh air. Zoot is already asleep on one of the seats in the auditorium. Lips sits on the steps placed at the entrance of the pit, glancing at Zoot once in a while. Dr. Teeth then joins him, sitting at the edge of the stage facing Lips.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite trumpet player!" he exclaims.

"Since when did you have favorites?" Lips retorted back, smirking. They both chuckle a bit and then settle down. Lips glances at Zoot again, catching the attention of the Gold-toothed man.

"Worried about Zoot?"

"Maybe a little".

"And why's that?"

"I don't know". Lips shrugged, his glance turning into a slight stare. "Maybe it's the fact that he barely treats me like a friend anymore," he replies, slightly disappointed.

"When he wakes up, I can talk to him, ask him what's on his mind," suggests Dr. Teeth. Lips shrugs at the idea. It might work and benefit both of them. Lips then nods and asks Dr. Teeth to do just that. Dr. Teeth agrees and leaves to check-in with Floyd and Animal.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The band arrives back at their house. Janice and Lips head straight towards the backyard for small talk while Animal goes to the couch and situates himself on a cushion, falling asleep. Zoot almost joins him before being pulled into the small kitchen by Floyd and Dr. Teeth. The set-up kind of looked like an intervention for Zoot, despite him not having any recent addiction problems.

"So Zoot, what would you say your relationship with Lips is?" asked Dr. Teeth. Zoot gave him a confused look.

"With who?"

"Lips. Our Trumpet player," chimes in Floyd.

"Right, right. I, uh, guess it's a good friendship," replies Zoot, fiddling with his bracelet.

"Even recently?" asked Dr. Teeth who has his arms crossed.

"I, well... uh, actually no, I haven't," said Zoot, looking down at the _very interesting_ tile floor. He knows he hasn't been treating him like before the band split apart and he has a fairly weak reason why.

"C'mon man, tell us. We ain't gonna discriminate you or anything," says Floyd. Zoot takes an almost shaky breath and rubs the palm of his hand with his other hand's thumb. Expressing your feelings has never been easy for men, and Zoot rarely needs to do that.

"I think I like Lips. I dunno man, I didn't think I'd fall for a guy, let alone our band member of all people. I didn't want to say anything because I could get kicked out and I don't want to be left without my family again," explains Zoot, still keeping his eyes glued to the floor and shoving his hands in his pockets. Silence blanketed the room for a few seconds. Zoot waited for the sound of angry voices or disgusted grumbles, but nothing disturbed the air. A hand laid on his shoulder, causing Zoot to finally look up at his comrades.

"When did you figure this out?" Dr. Teeth asked finally. A few more seconds of silence pass by.

"About a month ago," Zoot replied. Floyd gives Zoot a comforting smile.

"Man, if you thought we would throw you out for something like that, you are dead wrong!" Floyd says, lightly patting Zoot's back.

"You aren't mad?"

"Of course not! Sure, we would've had you thrown out back then, but times have changed. People are more accepting," Dr. Teeth says. Zoot lets out a sigh, thankful for their support.

"You won't tell Lips, right?" asked Zoot.

"Absotively, posilutely, friend," confirms Dr. Teeth. The sound of the back door opening and closing alerts the trio in the kitchen. Lips passes by the kitchen entrance, ignoring the three boys. Janice stops at the doorway and gives them a look that basically says "Get out". The boys hustle themselves out of the kitchen for Janice to begin her baking.

"Wait, what was the point of that?" Floyd and Dr. Teeth stop and look at each other before glancing back.

"Well," started Dr. Teeth, "I saw how you and Lips interacted since we've gotten back together as a band and-"

"You two didn't seem to act like before, even after getting used to being around each other," added Floyd. Zoot hummed. Though he wasn't that very observant, he could tell that he's only scratched the surface of the topic. He shrugs it off and situates himself on the couch, instantly falling asleep. Floyd and Dr. Teeth then knock on Lips' bedroom door. The door is surprisingly unlocked.

"Hey Lips, buddy, we need to talk". Their surprise was Lips in the middle of cleaning his room, shirtless. Most of the band's rooms were messy, excluding Zoot since he basically sleeps anywhere, and littered with trash, paper, clothes, and other little trinkets they've collected on the way. Floyd blinked and walked inside.

"What's up, brothers?" The two men contemplate their next answer. They didn't want to make things worse for both the brass players, but Lips needed an answer about Zoot's behavior.

"It's about Zoot, uh," started Floyd, "You fine with people being gay?" That was a strange question. He never really thought of it, just that's it's life and love. Lips grabs a notebook and points at the four stickers on there. First is the trans flag with "Trans Rights" in black letters, another is the original rainbow flag in the shape of a heart, the other is the bisexual flag, and the last is the nonbinary flag with "Love is Love" in white letters. "Also, while I was gone from the team, I found out I was bisexual. Why do ya ask anyway?"

"Just making sure, man". Floyd leans over and whispers to Dr. Teeth "They're so similar, man".

"Lips, as much as we would like to inform you about your friend, it's going to be up to you to find out for yourself," Dr. Teeth informs before pushing Floyd out of the room and closing the door behind them. Lips shakes his head and continues to clean his now half messy room.

"C'mon man, easy on the hair!" Floyd fixes his hair again, pulling it into his usual ponytail. Dr. Teeth thinks about the situation once again. They both need to sort out the predicament on their own if they would ever want to mend their relationship.

"Hey guys, is this rully the only milk we have left?" asked Janice, holding an almost empty milk carton. Suddenly, Animal springs up from the couch and runs to Janice, grabbing the carton in the process.

"Milk good for my bunny!"

"Animal, like, get back here!"

"Animal! Heel! Heel!"

 _I guess I should make a grocery list._ Dr. Teeth goes to write a list of groceries for the store while Janice and Floyd chase Animal around in the backyard. 


	4. Let's Put Our Heads Together/Plan A.

**Words: 2597**

That night, the band got to play at a gig at a nearby bar. Barely anyone was inside when they arrived and only a few people walked in to get a few drinks. Not the best gigs they've been at, but at least they pay. The band was onstage, unpacking their instruments when Dr. Teeth pulls Floyd over for a quick chat.

"Hey! What's your problem, man?" Floyd clutches his bass in shock. Dr. Teeth holds up his hands in defense.

"Sorry, but I think we should give our blue-haired companion a push with his love predicament". Floyd blinks, giving some thought about it. He turns to Dr. Teeth and asks "Can I tell Janice?"

"I'm surprised ya didn't tell your girl already". Janice then leans over to the men and gently pokes the head of her guitar at Floyd's shoulder. The bassist jumps at the small nudge, causing Dr. Teeth to let out a chuckle.

"You two are awfully quiet for your usually bright aura. What's up?" Janice asks. Floyd turns to her and explains the situation with Zoot and Lips.

"Oh! Like, their souls should be intertwined with each other, but not?" Floyd laughs and pats her back. Janice then joins the two men in a huddle and begins to spew out some plans. A few ideas didn't seem like they could work, but others could affect Zoot and Lips.

"Should we inform Zoot of our ideas of romance?" They all agree. To talk to Zoot without drawing the attention of Lips, they need a distraction. The trio turns their attention to their drummer, Animal.

During the trio's chat, Zoot is sorting through his music and Lips is cleaning his keys. The sound of a metal chain alerts Zoot and he straightens his papers, securing them together with two paper clips.

"Heads up". Lips isn't given enough time to react to Zoot's warning when _Boom!_ He's hit by a heavy force, falling to the ground. He lets out an audible groan, holding his trumpet in the air. Animal sees his trumpet and grabs it, jumping off of Lips. The two have a cat and mouse chase around the bar while Zoot watches. Two hands latch onto his shoulders and gently pull him backward. Zoot loses his balance while being pulled back and steadied himself after being let go.

"I didn't know the floors moved here". Dr. Teeth shakes his head.

"Listen, since we know you never open up at all..."

"We've decided to, like, hook you up with Lips!" Zoot raises his eyebrows in shock. So many questions swam in Zoot's mind. When did Janice know about his secret? He hasn't spoken to her much. "Why?" That was the only thing he asked.

"Because you two would absolutely be happier together". They begin to list off the ideas Janice gave. Zoots right-hand travels to the back of his left hand and scratches an invisible itch. No one notices the action and patiently waits for his response after talking.

"Would it actually work if you tried anything?" His nails begin to slightly dig into the skin.

"If all goes according to plan, then yes," Dr. Teeth responds. Zoot nods just as Lips tackles Animal to the floor and retrieves his instrument again.

"You good, brother?" Lips looks over, panting. He checks his trumpet for any dents or scratches before joining the others again.

"I'm more outta breath from chasing the Wild Man around than when we play at all. Gimme a sec, lemme just..." he huffs, bending over and taking a few deep breaths. After regaining his breath, Lips straightens his posture.

"What're y'all chatting about?" They all look at each other. Zoot stops scratching at his hand and begins to rub it instead and Floyd and Janice focus their attention on their instruments.

"We were just speaking of the music we're playing for our lovely audience tonight!" Dr. Teeth holds his hand out to almost empty the tables and bar counter. One of the customers gives them a tiny cheer.

Lips raises an eyebrow. "Alright. What were we thinking?" Dr. Teeth quickly grabs his papers and shuffles through them.

He grabs a random paper. "This!" He holds it out. Lips steps forward and reads the title out loud. 

" _Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G minor_. You sure it's this one?" Dr. Teeth fumbles with his music. Some papers fell on the floor.

"Oh, wait. I meant to pull out _Kodachrome_. Lemme find it and we'll get started". Floyd looks at the others and shrugs. They return to their spots on stage and set up their music.

Zoot returns to Lips' side. "Good luck," he mumbles to Lips before placing the mouthpiece in his mouth.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The night air moves refreshingly on the bandmate's skin. The time is 9:24 pm. Surprisingly, more people did arrive at the bar. Soon enough, over half of the bar was filled up. At the end of the night, they packed up their things and received their money for their performance. As Dr. Teeth, Floyd, and Animal pack away the instruments, Lips leans against the building and looks up at the dark sky. In the meantime, Janice begins talking to Zoot about one of the plans. Zoot was half-listening. He scratched the invisible itch on the back of his hand again as silence slowly rings in his ears. _Maybe this was a bad idea. What if this goes wrong? Then he'll hate me until the day I rot,_ he thinks.

"Are you, like, awake, Zoot?" Janice asks, waving a hand in front of his face. Zoot looks back at Janice and apologizes. The van is ready to go and Zoot climbs on the passenger's seat.

"Animal... tired..." Animal lays on Lips' lap and falls asleep. The trumpet player didn't care since he fell asleep right after. The ride was silent, save for some snores from the boys catching Zs. Janice grabs her phone and earbuds, giving one to Floyd. As soon as they arrive home, Dr. Teeth, Floyd and Lips unpack the instruments with Janice and Animal dragging them inside. Halfway through unpacking Animal's drum set, Lips falls asleep on the bass drum. No one notices until Dr. Teeth grabs the drum along with the sleeping man.

"We're gonna, like, go snooze. Night!" Janice says. She and Floyd walk to their bedroom and shut the door. Zoot is already situated on the couch, napping soundly with Animal on the floor near him. Dr. Teeth takes Lips to his room and sets him on his bed before retreating to his own room.

During the night, Zoot wakes up briefly. He stares at the ceiling, thinking about his shaggy-haired bandmate. Nearby, the clock's black hands point at 1:53 am. At times like these, Zoot's only clear memory of his childhood flashes through his mind. The mix of courage, anger, and fear ripples through his emotions as he closes his eyes and recalls the moment.

_"I'm leaving and you can't stop me". Zoot's mother looks in shock at her son, tears threatening to spill. His father stood in front of her, clearly angry. A young Zoot stood at the front door with his saxophone case. Across from him was Zoot's father and mother, his mother holding their newborn baby sister._

_"Fine by me. But don't say I didn't warn you when you come crawling back like the weak little man you are," Zoot's father spats, walking away. Zoot's mother doesn't pay any mind to her husband and continues to stare, cradling the baby as tears fall from her eyes like a waterfall. Zoot walks to her and gives her a gentle hug._

_"I'll write to you whenever I can, I promise". He turns his attention to his sister and gives her a locket. Inside the locket is a picture of them when she was born._

_"Alright, little sis, keep this safe for me. Maybe I'll see you in the future and we can talk". Zoot leaves both of them at the doorway, his mother with tears still flowing through her eyes. Her sad face is still clear in his mind. The sorrowful eyes burrow deep into his soul as he closes the door._

Zoot never wanted to hurt either of them, but he needed to get away from his father for a reason he's forgotten. He still writes to his mother and calls his little sister if he can remember, but he's forgotten a lot. Zoot turns to his side and gently runs his fingers through Animal's hair. He notices the scabs on the back of his hand and frowns. After being burnt out from his younger years, some childhood memories seemed to crawl back into his mind. They weren't big memories, but enough to make him feel scared. Remembering late at night has tired Zoot and he falls asleep again with his hand resting on Animal's head.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The morning sun shines through the windows and into the living room. Janice places a plate of pancakes on the table near Zoot. The rest of the band was at the table, eating their share of pancakes for the morning. Lips paused for a moment to ruffle up his already crazy hair. Animal was chewing on three pancakes at the same time with Floyd telling him to slow down. Dr. Teeth was writing some notes he got from Kermit.

"Hey, Animal. Could you wake up Zoot _gently_?" Floyd asks, chuckling. Animal stops and drops his pancakes. He stands from his chair and carefully walks to Zoot, avoiding the spots that creak. Once he's standing over the sax player, Animal heavily breathes in his face.

Zoot wakes up to the stench of bad breath to see Animal face to face with him. He pushes the red monster out of the way and sits up, stretching. Animal prances back over to his seat and starts eating his pancakes again.

"The frog needs us again. I'm not sure what for, but it ain't a rehearsal. Finish up your food and we'll be on our way". The band finishes their breakfast and gets ready to head out. The band piles into their van and begins the trip to the theater. Lips had brought a book with him and started reading on the way. Zoot looks in the side mirror, getting a glimpse of Lips reading. He smiles and watches him the entire way to the theater.

When they get there, Kermit and Scooter are waiting outside. The band climbs out of their van and follows the two Muppets inside.

"Boss was going to just give you music for the show next week, but then he thought of something else and, thus, you guys are here," Scooter explains. The band seats themselves in Kermit's office. Well, more like Janice, Floyd, Animal, and Dr. Teeth sit in the chairs and Zoot and Lips stand behind awkwardly.

"Alright," Kermit starts, "I didn't want to hide this from you guys since surprises don't usually end well with Animal, but the ABC channel network is thinking about letting us film a new show next year. I'm just asking if you're fine with being the background music like back in the old days". The band murmurs to each other before Floyd speaks up.

"Are we getting paid?" Scooter sighs a bit.

"Floyd, you and the rest of the band are definitely going to get paid". The band gives a small cheer before being ushered out by Scooter. Lips manages to fall behind, having a small conversation with Kermit. Dr. Teeth's arm grabs Lips' shirt and quickly pulls him away.

Once inside the van, Lips is placed back in the back with Animal and his book. Wait, scratch that, Animal is somehow in the middle seats with Janice, and Floyd is placed in the passenger seat. Zoot is in the very back for a reason unknown to Lips.

While Lips was having that small chat with Kermit, the rest of the band brought one of their plans into action. They had quickly noticed the disappearance of their trumpet player, making Janice pipe up about one of their plans. The arrangement took some time with Animal insisting that he'd drive and Floyd having to adjust his chain to end at the middle seats.

Lips grabs his book and places it on his lap, unsure about the new set-up in the van. He drifts a finger over the spine of the cover and glances at Zoot once in a while. Zoot has his arms crossed, tapping his middle and index finger on his arm every few seconds. His view is outside the window, watching the buildings pass by with a dazed expression. Dr. Teeth looks through the rear-view mirror and notices the tension between the two bandmates.

"Hey, I need to drive by this one place real fast. Just a slight detour for now," he announces, turning down a random street. Lips raises an eyebrow at the comment but shrugs it off. He decides to start a conversation and turns to Zoot.

"Hey". Zoot looks over, humming in response.

"So, how are you?" Zoot shrugs. It isn't long before Animal leans over the seat and stares uncomfortably at the duo, breathing heavily. Lips pats his head a few times before trying to talk to Zoot once more. Unfortunately, Animal decided that his arm would be his worse mortal enemy for the time being and a familiar scream shot through the van.

Over the next few minutes, Floyd and Janice tried to pull Animal off of Lips' arm with Dr. Teeth yelling at him and Zoot trying to help Lips detach Animal's jaw from his arm. Animal did let go, but not before he could break the skin. When the chaos completely simmered, the van had been parked on the side of the road so Dr. Teeth could tend to Lips' bleeding arm and have Floyd let Animal on a small walk. Zoot was leaning against the other side of the van, the rim of his hat covering his shades.

"Now, this is gonna hurt a lot. Like that time with... uh, well, whenever you get hurt". Dr. Teeth applies the antibiotic on each one of the tooth indents, causing Lips to inhale sharply at the contact. Guilt engulfs Zoot as he listens to each of Lips' intake of air. His nails scraped roughly against the skin, leaving irritating red lines. Janice walks over to Zoot as Dr. Teeth wraps up Lips' arm with whatever extra gauze they found in the van.

"Oh Zoot, I'm so sorry. That wasn't a very good plan," Janice apologized. Zoot didn't respond. Janice looked at his hands and saw his scratching. She gasped and grabbed his hands. This caused Zoot to look up, giving Janice a confused look.

"I thought you, like, stopped doing that a long time ago!" She whispered. Zoot's hands shook a bit, finally seeing the big striped spot on his hand.

"I... I don't know... what I did," Zoot muttered under his breath. Janice dug her hand into her pocket and pulled out a smooth, brown-colored stone. She placed it in his hand and pushes his fingers over it.

"What's this?" The coolness of the stone felt refreshing against his palm. Janice smiled at him.

"It's to stop you from rully hurting yourself". Janice pats his hand and walks back to Lips and Dr. Teeth. Zoot looks down at the stone, dragging his thumb over the smooth surface. He shoves the rock in his back pocket and joins the others just as Floyd and Animal return from their walk. 


	5. Let's Go to Plan B.

**Words: 1793**

The band returns home as fast as the speed limit would allow them. Once they walk inside, Zoot grabs his saxophone case and opens it up. He takes the stone from his back pocket and places it in one of the case pockets with a cleaning cloth. Lips had retreated to his room upon walking in rubbing the gauze on his arm. He didn't stay in there for long though. Zoot had just attached his saxophone pieces when Lips walked back out to get a glass of water. Animal was also in the kitchen, chewing on a bone.

"Animal sorry! Trumpet Man OK?" He asks. Lips accepts his apology and assures him that he was fine. Zoot overhears their 'conversation', mainly focusing on Lips' voice. It sounded like that calming male voice from those audiobooks at the library. Zoot could listen to it all day, even if he falls asleep before the first quarter of the book is read. He snaps back to reality and starts to play _True Colors_.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Lips sat on the porch, feeling the cold night air on his face. Dr. Teeth comes out and joins him, sitting a few feet next to him.

"How's that bite treating ya?" Lips puts his hand on the wrapped up area, frowning.

"I would've had a genuine chat with Mr. Sax Man if the Wild Man hadn't turned my limb in his new chew toy," he states. Dr. Teeth laughs, patting Lips' back. The two men stare up at the moon and stars shining down at them.

"But I do have one question about the weird set up in the van today". Dr. Teeth stiffens up. He quickly thinks up an answer to cover up the band's work.

"We just thought about doing a new setup once in a while. We're still getting used to this van after that thing in Montana with the old bus... a few months ago... ya get that?" Lips slowly nods. A strong gust of wind passes through both of their hair. Lips' bangs bent from the force, showing his sideburns. They end just before the bottom of his eye and they seemed to be shaved down to a millimeter. Dr. Teeth lifts his upside-down glasses at the sight.

"Hey, I didn't know you got sideburns!" Dr. Teeth exclaims. Lips looks over at him, tilting his head.

"I've had them since before ya 'encouraged' me to join the band, Doc," replies Lips, "Wait, you've never seen them?" Dr. Teeth shakes his head. In fact, no one even knew Lips had sideburns since his hair seems to always be in his face. Lips tells the short story about his goatee and his sideburns.

_"Hun, what is it you want again?" Lips' mother asked. An excited-looking young Lips sat at the kitchen counter with long thin bangs that lay over his almost squinting eyes and semi-crazy hair. He wore an oversized rocketship t-shirt and shorts. Next to him is his older brother with slicked-back hair and glasses that were too big for his face._

_"One of them goatees, Mama! Just like the one Gran-Papa had when he was Papa's age. Can I please grow it in?" Lips replied excitedly. He was kneeling on one of their high stools, leaning over the counter. Lips' father laughed at his comment, not once looking up from his newspaper. His older brother ruffled his hair, smiling at his younger brother's excitement. Lips' mother said that he'll have to ask his Papa if it's OK. Lips climbs down from the stool and jogs to his father to ask the same question._

_"Alright, Lil' Man, we'll let you grow that goatee ya want. However, ya gotta promise Mama and I that you'll practice extra hard on your trumpet, or no goatee. Promise?" Lips' father held out his pinky finger. Lips nods, causing a bunch of hair strands to fall onto his face, and links his tiny finger with his father's._

_Of course, that December was when he would earn his nickname 'Lips'. It was the day before winter break when it happened. He was so determined to practice and get the goatee, he forgot about the cold and got his lips stuck on the mouthpiece. His parents poured warm water on it until it released, leaving a nasty scar across his lips._

"I still got the scar, but most of it is faded now," Lips says, pointing at a diagonal line on his top lip. It was thin and white but healed nevertheless.

Inside, the clock struck 11:00 pm. They bid each other Good night and went to sleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The morning was silent. Not even Animal made a single sound. The silence was then replaced with Dr. Teeth walking in with a paper, already prepared.

"Hey guys, I need someone to get this stuff from the store. I'm meeting up with Clifford today, so I can't do it". Dr. Teeth places a list in the middle of the table. He gave a certain look at Floyd and Janice and they understood what he was doing. Though it was early, Dr. Teeth was ready to try and start another plan for Zoot and Lips.

"Hey, man, I gotta take Animal on a wicked long walk this morning. I can't do it". Floyd stands up and reaches for Animal's chain.

"I would, but I have to find the recipe for those cupcakes. It'll take a rully long time to dig in my closet". Janice stands from her seat and walks to her room, shutting the door.

"Uh... looks like it's just me... and Zoot..." Lips says. Zoot had a full cup of coffee sitting in front of him on the table. He taps his foot to the ticking of the clock and stares at the steam that is raised from the cooling liquid.

"I'll drop you two off on my way to Clifford's house". Lips nods and stands up, going to his room to change. Dr. Teeth notices the silence from Zoot.

"Zoot? What's bugging ya?" Zoot's foot stops tapping. Maybe he struck a nerve in the burned-out musician. Zoot lowered his gaze from the coffee and to the table itself, his head only moving an inch down.

"Do you believe that these 'plans' are really gonna work?" He asks in a weak voice. It was obvious that Zoot didn't think the plans were going to have an impact on him.

"Even if they don't work, we at least tried. If you feel like we've done enough, just tell us". Zoot nods and stands up from his seat. At the same time, Lips walks out of his room, messing up his usually messy hair again. He grabs the list and shoves it in his pocket while itching his chin. The three men walk to the van and drive to their destinations.

Dr. Teeth pulls up to the store and lets out Zoot and Lips. He reaches his hand in his pocket and pulls out something.

"When you're done, text or call me," says Dr. Teeth before throwing Zoot an old flip phone. The screen was cracked and some of the metal is chipping off, but it surprisingly worked. He drives off without another word. Lips pulls out the crumpled up paper from his pocket.

"Let's go then. Looks like we need everything for Valley Girl's cupcakes, pain medicine, whatever the Wild Man wrote here, and cleaning supplies," Lips reads aloud. They grab a shopping cart and split the list in half. Lips went to get the cupcake ingredients and cleaning supplies and Zoot went to get the pain medicine and whatever Animal wrote down, which was rabbit food (Not specified). Zoot went to find the rabbit food, dropped it off in the cart, and walked back to find the medicine. Meanwhile, Lips had gotten all of the cupcake ingredients and was just heading to the cleaning supplies.

Lips is the only one of the two men to go into the cleaning aisle. Zoot would've gotten overwhelmed by the smells and backed off. Speaking of Zoot, he's scanning the medicine aisle for a specific type of pain killer. There was no luck so far, seeing as he's looked at the same shelves twice already.

"Is there anything you're looking for?" Asked the store clerk passing by. Zoot asks about the pain killers that they usually get. The clerk apologizes, saying that they don't sell them there anymore. Zoot thanks them, grabbing the next best thing just as Lips turns the corner.

"Found it?" Zoot shakes his head. They head to check out and pay for their items. Zoot takes out the flip phone and sends a text to Dr. Teeth, telling him to pick them up. They sit on the side of the building, waiting to see the familiar colorful van drive up. Zoot sat on the curb, counting the cars that drove in front of him. Lips chuckles at himself.

"Y'know, it's kinda funny how we're the only ones who could get the groceries today. Dontcha think?" Lips says with a smile. Zoot turns his head away, shrugging. Lips' smile disappeared. Even when they were alone, Zoot wouldn't talk. The truth is that Zoot is too scared to talk to Lips, even though his bandmates are trying to get them together. It didn't help that he found something charming about the trumpet player each day. Today felt like it was all about his eyes. The way they reflect his emotions so well made Zoot a little lovesick. His left hand quickly found the back of his right hand and scratched at the strange sensation again. It seemed stronger this time. With each scrape of his nails, the feeling grew more intense. Zoot stops scratching when a hand is placed on his shoulder.

"Hey, I see the Doc. Let's go, Sax Man". Lips and Zoot grab their bags and place them inside the van. The ride was silent until they got to their house. Everyone pitched in to help bring the items inside and put them away. Lips and Animal went into the backyard to relax. Floyd notices Zoot's expression. It looked more down than usual.

"That didn't work either, did it?" Floyd asks. Zoot shakes his head, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Maybe we should, like, stop at this," Janice says. Dr. Teeth nods in agreement.

"I'm gonna give ya one last chance. If ya fail again, I'm taking matters into my own hands". The others look at each other. Just one last chance to get the two men together? It was obvious to them that they were just starting, but it was obvious that Zoot felt like there wasn't anything that's pushing them together emotionally. He was losing hope, the trio could see it. 


	6. Skip to Plan K. (Plan K?)

**Words: 1471**

Did the team decide to wait a day before pushing another plan? No. No, they didn't. It was only an hour and a half after they heard what Zoot said. Dr. Teeth, Floyd, and Janice took a seat at the table, thinking. The problem is that they never really thought that far ahead. Lips and Animal walked back inside. Animal had a stick in his mouth and happily chewed it. Lips saw his three bandmates at the table. They look like they were thinking seriously and from Lips' knowledge, they hardly ever think at all. Like that one time when they got lost in Texas because Animal had eaten their map.

"You three good? Y'all look like those stuffed jackalopes Bass Man's Pa has in his bus," Lips says. Floyd dismissively waves his hand. Once Lips leaves them alone, Janice snaps her fingers and smiles. She thought up a plan that was sure to work. Janice tells the two men, even writing it down in case they forget.

"Aren't ya gonna help?" Floyd asks. Janice shakes her head. She claims that she would help a bit, but she's gonna try to make the cupcakes in the evening. Animal brings a broken stick to the table and sets it down.

"Animal want to help," he says. Floyd laughs at Animal, taking the written down plan. They set off to work in the backyard. Zoot raises his head from the couch and watches the band head to the backyard. He just woke up to Animal's loud voice and didn't hear anything they said.

During the process, they would constantly walk back and forth from the backyard, the attic, and the garage that held a majority of their junk.

The sun was close to setting when the boys, and sometimes Janice, finished working out their plan. They called it Plan K because it was, in their case, near the end of the alphabet and that's as far as Animal can sing of the song. Zoot walks to the backyard with his saxophone to see a mini Laser Tag arena. Dr. Teeth, Floyd, and Animal wore black vests they found while searching.

"What's this...?" He gestures to the horrible set up. There was an array of moving boxes, old chairs, and other junk stacked in different sized piles. Each of the piles was in different sections of the yard.

"Our last plan to get you and Lips together!" Floyd replies, leaning on a chair. Zoot sets his saxophone on the table, still staring at the set up in confusion.

"Animal! Go get Lips, OK?" Animal runs inside for a brief moment and comes back out, gently dragging Lips by his shirt sleeve. Lips sees the set up too and gives Dr. Teeth a confused look.

"Are those like the strange sculptures at the park or is this something different?" Lips asks, waving his index finger at the scene. Floyd grabs two vests and throws them at Zoot and Lips. Janice walked out of the house with a vest already on her, dusting off the flour from her hands.

"It's a home-made laser tag arena. The only difference being that we're using vests, Nerf guns, and foam bullets since we don't have any real laser tag vests or guns. I'll tell the rules in a bit". Floyd also throws a gun and foam bullets in an ammo case to each of them. They put on the vests and grabbed the guns and ammo.

"I, Janice, and Teeth are a team. You two and Animal are our opponents. When you get hit, you raise your hand for ten seconds, and then you're back in. Animal's their only exception for guns since he doesn't know how to use them. Your base is here up to the middle. Ours is at the other end up to the middle. We start in thirty seconds, man," Floyd says, loading his own pistol. Floyd, Janice, and Dr. Teeth walk to the other side of the yard, leaving the other three at the back porch.

Within minutes, the backyard is in chaos. The neighbors must've thought the band was having a feud judging by all of the chaos, bullet shooting, and yelling. Dr. Teeth quickly found an advantage with his long arms and Floyd was acting as if he's actually at war. No one knows where Janice hid off to, but it's apparently a good place for sniping. She had taken Animal out more than Dr. Teeth. Lips managed to land some hits on Floyd and Dr. Teeth, but Animal kept getting in the way. He would run back and forth from one side to the next. In fact, all he had to do was tag the person to be considered hit. Zoot on the other hand...

"Man, this is crazy! Animal is out of control and Floyd is taking this game way too seriously!" Zoot yells, holding his gun tightly against his chest. Lips moves from their hiding spot to shoot at Floyd a few times and then moves back. Zoot hasn't tried to fight back the entire time they were playing. His gun was still full of unused ammo.

"Honestly, the Wild Man is our only hope through all this!" Yells Lips, loading his Nerf gun with ammo. Zoot began to panic, his breathing starting to be ragged. This was their plan? More like torture! His nails scratch at his other hand again, breaking the skin. A small drop of blood comes out and drops to the ground. Zoot looks up and sees the backdoor.

 _I need to get outta here_ he thinks, dropping his gun and making a mad dash for the door. Lips quickly realizes what Zoot did and runs after him, firing the foam bullets at his opponents while doing so. Janice aims at the running Lips from her hiding spot and fires. Lips makes a dive for Zoot, grabbing his torso and cushioning his fall. Unfortunately, he landed on the table. The impact tipped it over, throwing Zoot's saxophone to the dirt. The instrument gets covered in dirt and dust.

"TIME OUT! TIME OUT! WE GOT A MAN DOWN!" Lips could hear Dr. Teeth yell. His ears rung from the impact of the table. Janice jogs from her hiding place, apologizing continuously. Once the ringing stops, Lips and Zoot sit up and take a breath from the adrenalin. Their eyes lock for a second before Zoot stands up and grabs his dirty saxophone. He throws the vest off of his shoulders and goes back inside, slamming the door.

"I... should rully go and bake those cupcakes," says Janice, taking off her vest and heading inside as well. Dr. Teeth helps Lips to his feet.

"Can I have an explanation about this? You, Bass Man, and Valley Girl have been acting real funny since that gig we had a couple of days ago. So what's up?" Floyd sighs. Dr. Teeth explains that they were trying to get him and Zoot together. They still won't tell the reason, stating that it should be up to Zoot to tell him personally.

"Well, I can say that they were awful plans," Lips says, laughing. The two men begin laughing with him, thinking back on their ideas. Animal then loses interest and walks inside. The three men follow closely behind, agreeing to clean the backyard later.

When they get inside, Zoot is on the couch, scrubbing off the dirt. Animal was nearby, lounging in his usual seat. Floyd goes to help Janice in the kitchen with Dr. Teeth and Lips heading to the front porch again to talk. Zoot watches them out of the corner of his eye.

Even after half an hour, Zoot's saxophone is still covered in dirt. He had a rag and a bowl of water with him for cleaning. Lips and Dr. Teeth are still outside, Dr. Teeth is telling one of his tall tales. Animal crawls from his chair to the couch and lays his head on Zoot's shoulder.

"Hi, Animal. Are ya tired?" Animal closes his eyes and breathes heavily like he usually does. That was a good enough answer for Zoot. In the kitchen, he could hear Janice and Floyd laughing. He remembers when he and Janice were together. They were doing great, but he began to doubt himself and cut off the relationship at the end of season one. She did briefly date Dr. Teeth, but then cut off from that and moved to Floyd. From then on, they would be a better couple than the diva pig and nervous frog. Zoot briefly scratches Animal's head for a bit and continues to try to clean the dirt off.

Just then, Lips and Dr. Teeth come back in. Lips immediately heads to his room once again and Dr. Teeth grabs the newspaper to read again. 


	7. Love is in Bloom

**Words: 1693**

It was late in the evening. Janice did eventually bake the cupcakes like she promised that week. The process took longer than usual due to Floyd distracting Janice every ten minutes. After that, the cupcakes were finished.

"Great as ever, babe!" commented Floyd, helping Janice clean the kitchen. By then, Dr. Teeth had already retreated to his room to call up Clifford again. Lips and Zoot sat on the couch, the sounds of running water filling the air. Zoot was still cleaning the dirt off of his saxophone with a band-aid over the broken skin and Lips was looking through some old sheet music. They said nothing to each other, even after Janice and Floyd retreated to their rooms and Animal somehow fell asleep in the bathroom. It's a long period of silence before Lips speaks up.

"So... how are ya?" he asked, attempting to relieve the awkwardness. Zoot shrugs as an answer. His gaze was still fixated on his almost clean instrument.

"I'm sorry about your sax," Lips says. Zoot only hums in reply. Lips mentally sighs, knowing that trying to make Zoot open up is a challenge enough. The trumpet player quickly gathers his music together in a messy pile and turns to face Zoot, his hands folded in his lap. Zoot stops, looking at Lips surprised.

"This ain't easy for me, nor is it easy for you, but I need to know why you've been avoiding me," Lips states. This takes the saxophonist by surprise. He places his now clean instrument back into its case, avoiding eye contact with Lips.

"Avoiding you?" he asks, looking at the floor.

"We haven't talked much ever since the team came back together and every time I try, you turn me down".

"And that's avoiding?"

"Yes". Though his eyes don't show it, Lips is slightly determined to figure out his bandmate's reason. Zoot takes a few deep breaths, thinking his answer out.

"I, um... well, you see... uh," Zoot sputters out, "The truth is... I'm nervous because I... may have certain feelings for... someone..." He ends up muttering the rest under his breath as Lips begins to see the big picture. His first thought was that Zoot could be a closeted gay man. Even though he's not sure, Lips decides to play it cool and ask questions that would lead him to a clearer answer.

"It's one of the bandmates, correct?"

"Well, aren't you Sherlock Rome?"

"Holmes".

"Ya sure?"

"Yes".

"Positive it's Holmes?"

"Look, if you're just going to dodge the question, then just tell me the real reason why you've been avoiding me!" Silence breaches the air. Realization strikes Lips and he moves to the armrest of the couch, leaning against it. In his mind, he's replaying the moment. Lips definitely came on too harsh.

"Forget what I said. Ya... don't need to tell me anything". He continues to sort his music sheets, leaving Zoot to ponder his next actions. The last attempts at getting them together failed because of his bandmates. In fact, he should've just mustered enough courage to talk to Lips without anyone else. Zoot places a hand on Lips' shoulder, catching his attention.

"Alright, if I tell you everything, you need to promise not to get mad," he says. Lips nods and turns back to him.

"I'm... oh boy, this is happening... I'm gay," he starts, "I started questioning my sexuality for almost a year, I think because I... I started liking you. I pushed you aside 'cause... I needed time to figure myself out. Once I did, I got scared and thought that you would hate me if I told you or anyone in the band, so I... I kept quiet until Floyd and Teeth confronted me about it a few days ago". Zoot looks down, waiting for rejection, but it never came. He's suddenly pulled into a side hug by Lips. If there was one thing Lips could remember his mother telling him is that men are allowed to feel weak. Zoot hugs him back.

"I understand if you don't feel the same. I've had rejection many times before," he says as Lips wraps his arms around Zoot. Thunder sounds in the distance as Lips sorts through his own thoughts. Though he hasn't publicly expressed his bisexuality to the world, he's always wanted to act on it. Lips has always felt like his friendship with Zoot could turn into romance, but was always shut down when he'd see him talking to other girls. When he rejoined the band, Lips wanted to rekindle their friendship and continue what they lost. It was going smoothly until Zoot began to push him away just under a year ago because of this. Now was their chance to get both of their weights off their chests. They both separate from their hug, Lips taking one of Zoot's hands and intertwining it with his own.

"I'm gonna be honest with you, I'm bisexual. I could've sworn I told y'all, but I guess not. I learned it when I separated from you guys. What I'm trying to say is, if you want, we could start something. I've heard that your last relationship with Valley Girl didn't end well, but this could be different," answered Lips, giving a small smile. The saxophonist smiles back.

"Only if you're up to it, then yeah. Let's start something" Zoot replies, placing his forehead on Lips'. They sit on the couch in silence until lightning strikes and the power goes out.

"Who blocked out the sun?" asks Zoot, causing Lips to laugh. As best they could in the dark, the new couple situates themselves on the couch and falls asleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The storm simmers to drizzle once the sun peaks over the horizon. Four figures stand in front of the two sleeping men on the couch.

"Should we wake them up?" whispered Floyd, combing his messy hair with his fingers. Dr. Teeth shrugs as Animal tilts his head at the scene. For once, the band was silent in the usually crazy household. Lips and Zoot had fallen asleep facing each other with Zoot's arms protectively hugging Lips. Lips was situated between the back of the couch and Zoot, softly snoring.

"Are you sure we, like, aren't interrupting anything?" Janice whispered too. Animal instantly lost interest and gnawed at the English muffin in his hand.

"I say we let our restful companions awake at their own time," Dr. Teeth stated quietly. The others nodded in agreement and walked away to begin their own routines. An hour passes and Lips shifts in his sleep, waking up Zoot. Their conversation from the night before seemed like a dream. Zoot finally opens his eyes to see Lips. He smiled and gently moved some of his shaggy hair out of his face. Lips stirs from this action, snuggling more towards Zoot.

"Lips".

"Hm?"

"As much as I love sleeping, your elbow is jabbing my side". They scramble to sit upright. Lips looks at a nearby clock. 9:04 AM was what the black hands were pointing at. The realization hits the shaggy blonde like a brick to the face.

"I'M GONNA BE LATE!" exclaims Lips, making a mad dash for his room, almost running into Dr. Teeth before slamming the door. Zoot grabs his hat and fixes his shirt. Floyd and Janice are sitting at the table again with Janice braiding Floyd's long hair. Not a minute after Lips had disappeared into his room, he reappears again in clean clothing with his trumpet case and binder in his hands.

"I'llseeyouguysinanhourdon'tbreakanythingOKbye!" he quickly yells. The front door slams shut and the silence resonates in the building once again.

"Zoot! You've awakened," says Dr. Teeth. Zoot only nods at the mention of his name, staring out the front window. Floyd, with his now braided hair, saunters over and sits next to the burned-out musician.

"Hey man, you good?" he asks. Zoot shrugs and stares at his feet. Some of his memories seemed a bit less fuzzy this morning. A few were some events from his early years in grade school and his parents, most notably his father. He could still smell the alcohol that would linger in his old house along with smoke from burned cigarettes. The thought made his head hurt. Zoot's breathing turned ragged as his vision sinks into darkness. Ragged breaths transform into hyperventilation. His hands clung to his shirt in an attempt to calm down. Time slows down. Zoot feels like he's floating in an endless abyss. Where was he? Where is his mother? Can anyone hear him? Suddenly, the voices of his bandmates echo faintly through his ears.

"You're gonna be OK, Zoot".

"Animal here to help".

"Just relax, man. We're here".

The world began to show through Zoot's eyes once more. His breathing slowed down and his grip on his shirt loosened. Janice held out a cup of water for Zoot and Animal sat next to him.

"Like, it happened again". Zoot only nodded, taking a sip. The last time he remembers hyperventilating was in the old church with Scooter and even then, they would last for a solid hour. After they met Kermit and Fozzie, they seemed to happen less to the point of not having them at all.

"You scared me, man. I thought we were gonna have to take you to the doc," Floyd added in. Animal nudges Zoot's side and makes a raspy purring sound. Floyd turns to Dr. Teeth and Janice, asking a quick question, but Zoot's ears ring with silence. He had Lips on his mind. Where did he go? He doesn't remember where Lips went off to. He brought his case with him, so it had to be important. To a gig? But everyone else would've gone with him. The questions prodded his brain.

"Where's Lips?" he asked in a hushed voice. Dr. Teeth explains that he went to give a lecture at the college.

"He'll be back in an hour. Don't worry. You can watch some television until he gets back," suggests Dr. Teeth. Zoot nods once more, scratching the back of his hand. Floyd notices his scratching but doesn't comment on it.


	8. Reading and Kisses

**Words: 2048**

_After a few hours..._

Lips walks to the front door of the house with his hands clutching his trumpet case and a binder full of lecture notes. The college wanted him to give a few more lectures after his first one. Lips' voice was a bit raspy from all the talking and the school only distributes one bottle of water per speaker. The college also only had twenty-minute breaks in between each one, not enough time to eat or fully prepare himself for the next lecture. Not the best system, but that was his opinion. The drizzle of rain from the morning was replaced with the warm rays of the sun. Once Lips closes the door behind him, Animal bounces from his chair and hugs him.

"Hey Wild Man, are you keeping watch over the house?" Asks Lips, patting his head. The sounds of the old Muppet Show slowly reach the trumpet player's ears. At the couch was Zoot aimlessly staring at the TV. Frequently, he'd let out a chuckle at one of Fozzie's antics. Lips goes to his room to put away his notes, trumpet, and shoes before quietly joining Zoot on the couch.

"I remember this. I gave Beauregard a long talk". The comment makes Zoot jump in his spot. He had gotten so engrossed in watching, he never heard the door open or give any attention to Animal suddenly prancing from his lounging spot. He looks over at Lips, who had grabbed his half-empty water bottle from his room and lets out a small sigh.

"C'mon man, I ain't as sharp as I used to be". Lips holds his hands up defensively.

"Sorry, just wanted to see what you were doing, brother".

"It's fine. I just got distracted is all". They both fall silent again, the TV filling the atmosphere with occasional laugh tracks and music. Zoot absent-mindedly begins to scratch at the back of his hand again, the feeling engulfing his whole hand. He didn't scratch hard, but enough to stop the itching feeling. The tension is relieved when Dr. Teeth walks out of his room to notice Lips' presence.

"Lips, you've returned! How are you?" he exclaims. Lips looks at the pianist and smiles.

"Tired and hungry, brother. Turns out they scheduled me for a few more lectures after my usual one. And get this: only a twenty-minute break between each. It was hectic, man," he replies, taking a sip from his water bottle. The conversation carries on for a few more seconds with the two talking about little things that annoyed them and the whereabouts of Janice and Floyd (they went on a date). It ends with Dr. Teeth offering to refill Lips' water bottle and grab him something to munch on.

"So how was your day?" asks Lips, attempting to break the tension. Zoot shrugs, his gaze not breaking from the television. Zoot is then gently pulled to Lips, who rests the blue-haired musician's head on his shoulder. Zoot shifts into a more comfortable position on the couch as his eyes begin to droop. Within seconds, Zoot is fast asleep against Lips. Dr. Teeth returns with a full water bottle and a bowl of reheated Mexican rice. He sets the items on the table next to Lips.

"I see you two made amends," he comments. Lips hums in response.

"And maybe a little more," Dr. Teeth adds on. Lips looks over at him and raises an eyebrow.

"How long have you known? Wait, how do you know at all?"

"Since this morning. We found you two resting peacefully together".

"I'm guessing that the team saw?"

"Yeah, we all collectively found you two here. I can also assure you that no one outside the band will know unless needed". Lips lightly rubs his thumb on Zoot's shoulder and takes a bite of rice.

"I also wanted to talk to you about something that happened with Zoot today," begins Dr. Teeth, "long before you joined our chaotic group, we stayed at a church with Scooter, our manager at the time. Sometimes, Zoot would have these episodes where he would begin to hyperventilate. After he calms down, he'll forget everything that happened beforehand. Now keep in mind, these used to last for an hour and he hasn't had one since before we met the frog and his buddy. We know nothing of his past since he ain't one to talk, so unless he opens up to you, we can't comfort him in a certain way. I'm telling you this in case he has another episode and you two are alone".

Lips glances down at Zoot. They had just started their relationship and getting Zoot to open up is already difficult on its own. It would take some time for both of them to reveal more about themselves to each other.

"Alright. It'll take time, but I'll see what I can do for the man". Dr. Teeth nods and leaves them alone. After eating, Lips flips the TV off and situates both of them in a comfortable napping position before falling asleep himself.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Janice and Floyd return from their day out. The house is somewhat quiet except for the muffled talking of Animal from the backyard. The door is slammed shut, causing the duo on the couch to awake from their nap. Lips raises his head high enough to look at the couple near the door.

"Oops, sorry. Like, I totally didn't know you were sleeping there," apologizes Janice. He lets out a brief sigh and lays his head back on the cushion. Zoot moves a bit, then falls back asleep. Floyd leans over the back of the couch to view the two lounging men. Lips, now elevating his head with his arm, looks back at him.

"How was your date with Valley Girl?" He asks. Floyd begins to talk about the day he and Janice had. During the conversation, Janice travels to the backyard, finding Dr. Teeth and Animal. Dr. Teeth was sorting through different colored pins and Animal had somehow climbed into their only tree near Dr. Teeth, trying to talk to a few birds.

"Like, we're back," she announces, grabbing their attention. Dr. Teeth looks over and waves his hand. Animal looks up and says "Hello" very loudly, scaring away the birds. Janice giggles and smoothly places a new pin in front of Dr. Teeth. It had a treble clef and three music notes on a staff. Each note was one of the primary colors with the treble clef a shiny silver color.

"C'mon sister, you know I collect these on my own," he sighs.

"I know, but this had your bright aura on it and we took a small detour to get some food". Janice holds up leftovers from a restaurant.

"Was your man angry about your walk off the main road?" Janice takes the seat across from Dr. Teeth. She assured Dr. Teeth that he wasn't angry and had bought himself a small trinket with the pin. The two were fairly close friends to hold a conversation like one of them had left the house for a week. Meanwhile, Animal had climbed high enough in the tree to almost see over their house. He then attempts to reach the roof by balancing himself on one of the branches and walking over. Halfway, the branch begins to lose support for Animal and it snaps. _Thump_ went Animal and the broken branch as they fell to the ground.

"Animal? You good there, buddy?" Dr. Teeth asks. Animal stands up and casually laughs it off.

Hours pass as the sun sets behind the horizon. Everyone had retreated into their rooms, except for Zoot following Lips into his. Sometimes, the band would accept doing some gigs at bars or special events, but tonight was a quiet night. Speaking of Zoot, he was lying on Lips' bed, trying to read a novel Floyd suggested to him. Lips was at his desk writing new notes for future lectures. The only sounds that pierced the air were the scribbling of a pencil on paper, the occasional flipping of paper, and the almost quiet ticking of the clock. A groan emits from Zoot's throat.

"Not liking the book?"

"Does my voice give you an answer?" Lips lets out a short laugh.

"I'm telling ya, that's a good book. What chapter are ya on again?"

"The second chapter. They ain't doing anything! When is something important gonna happen?! What is so interesting about taxes anyway?" Lips smiles.

"Trust me, it gets better after chapter four". Another groan strikes the air. Lips, now finished with his notes, walks over to Zoot and sits next to him.

"It might help if ya took the shades off," he suggests, poking at the eyewear Zoot adorns 24/7. Zoot swats his hand away and attempts to continue reading, much to his own dismay. Lips reaches to his nightstand and grabs his own book. They both read in blissful silence for what seemed like hours. Lips finishes a couple of chapters in his book and looks over to Zoot, where he can see the beginning of his book's fourth chapter.

"Ya wanna stop for tonight?" Zoot grabs his bookmark, which is just a torn piece of paper and places it in his book. Lips takes both of their books and places them both on his nightstand.

"I have to change. Ya don't have to watch if ya don't want to," says Lips, chuckling. Zoot covers his face with his hat and hums in acknowledgment. Lips gets up from his bed, grabbing his sleepwear in the process. While he changes, Zoot takes a peek from under his hat. Lips has his back turned to him and Zoot watches him put his shirt on.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer". Zoot's face flares up in embarrassment when Lips' laughing reaches his ears. His hat stays placed over his face even after Lips is fully changed. Lips looks over and notices how tense his new lover is. He's read enough romance novels and been forced to see enough romance movies to know how to relax your significant other. One of the more nonsexual ones pops into his brain along with a plan to play it out. It's a big step, but he's willing to take it. He rejoins Zoot on the bed and begins to work out his plan in action. Lips crawls on top of Zoot and lightly begins to kiss spots on his neck. The heat from Zoot's face then spreads to his neck.

"What're you doing?" He mumbles from under his hat, tensing up from the sudden contact.

"Trying something, relax," Lips replies. His kisses travel up and down the musician's neck. Zoot relaxes into each kiss and lets out a small moan. The kisses begin to turn a bit rougher with Lips adding a few hickeys on his neck. Zoot's hat is now removed from his face and one of his hands is entangled in the trumpet player's shaggy hair. Lips' kisses slowly travel up Zoot's neck and on his jaw, stopping before they could lock lips. Lips looks down at the flustered man before him.

"Are ya good with kissing? I don't wanna be awkward or-" Zoot cuts him off by pulling his head down and locking their lips for a quick second. Lips pulls away with a faint blush creeping on his cheeks.

"That was too rough," Zoot says under his breath. Nervousness about the kiss engulfs his thoughts until he feels soft lips on his again. This time, more gentle and slow. Zoot kisses back, snaking his arms around Lips' shoulders. Lips tilts his head to the side, deepening the kiss. When they separate again, Lips gives Zoot his usual cocky grin.

"We should be catching Z's. If ya want, you can sleep with me for tonight". Zoot rubs his neck.

"I don't wanna take up room, man. I can go to the couch".

"I mean, it's only one night. It's also better than the couch and comfier".

Zoot lets out a sigh. "Fine, only one night".

The two turn off the lights and lay under the covers. Zoot falls asleep instantly, leaving Lips lying awake on his side. He kisses Zoot on the forehead before falling to slumber himself.


	9. Old Habits Die Hard

**Word: 1988**

_Warning: Self-harm_

In the middle of the night, a glass shatters in the kitchen, waking up Floyd. He begrudgingly gets out of bed, careful not to wake up Janice, and checks out where the sound came from. The kitchen is empty with one of the cabinets open and a broken glass cup inside the sink. He closes the cabinet and explores more. Faint TV static sounded from the living room. Down the hall was the bathroom, it's light was on and the door was slightly open with the sound of running water. Floyd sneaks over and takes a peek inside. Zoot has one of his hands rinsing under the water, washing away streaks of blood. He's muttering "No" over and over under his breath and hissing in pain once in a while.

"Zoot?" Floyd opens the door. The sight was almost surprising. Zoot, in his half-tired state, looks over at his friend in fear. Floyd glances at his friend's hand, taking in the picture of the bleeding skin. Zoot had begun to scratch at the back of his hands again. It was an old habit of his that stopped along with his episodes. It was times like this that scared the band because sometimes the bleeding would last throughout the night.

"I'm... I'm so sorry," Zoot whispered as tears fell from behind his glasses. Floyd walks in and pulls the gauze and antiseptic out from the bathroom cabinet as Zoot continues to whisper "Sorry's".

"Don't be".

"W-what?" Zoot looks up in surprise. Some tears fell from behind his glasses.

"I said: Don't be. Ya don't need to be sorry for this. Also, you should be using warm water". Floyd places a comforting hand on Zoot's shoulder.

"But I am sorry. I woke ya up and ya see me like this, just like how I was back at the old church. If anyone else wakes up, I'll be worrying them again too. I can't let them see this, I shouldn't be like this". Floyd moves Zoots' scratched up hand from the water and changes it from cool to warm.

"I'm telling ya, Zoot. Ya don't have to be sorry. Janice told me you were scratching a few days earlier and I saw you scratch your hand today, but I convinced myself that you were fine. If anything, I should be sorry for not bringing it up to ya and trying to help ya," Floyd says, "I guess it's both our faults then". After rinsing a few times, Floyd dabs some antiseptic on the wound and begins to wrap his hand in gauze. Zoot hisses at the alcohol on his wound, wiping away more tears that threaten to fall from his eyes.

Floyd finishes bandaging up the hand. "I know ya didn't just do that hand. Lemme see the other one". Zoot hesitantly holds his other hand out. It was just as scratched up as the first with the difference of it being littered in half-healed scabs. Over the scabs was a single band-aid that peeled at the ends. Floyd takes the band-aid and rips it off, throwing it in the trash. He takes Zoot's other hand and begins to wrap it up too.

Floyd breaks the tension. "Lemme guess, nightmare again?"

"What else would wake me in the middle of the night?" Zoot laughs at his own comment.

"I dunno, Animal?" Zoot laughs a bit more. Floyd then notices a few marks on Zoot's neck. He's had a few intimate moments with Janice and the spots definitely seemed like hickeys through his tired eyes.

Floyd changes the subject. "Are those hickeys?"

"Sorry?"

"On your neck. The purple-blackish spots," he says, pointing. After his other hand is fully bandaged, Zoot looks at the mirror and leans forward, clearly seeing the love bites Lips had left. Yet another thing he forgot was the mini neck kissing session Lips had on him before bed. He runs his fingers over each of them, humming.

"Those will be there for at least two days. Pray we don't have any gigs to be at," Floyd states, "and that Lips doesn't go down on your neck again". He laughs at his own comment. Zoot flashes him the bird for a second and continues to run his fingers over his neck again.

"Hey boys, don't use too much water. We don't want our water bill too high". They look over to see Lips, leaning on the door frame. Floyd quickly reaches over and turns the faucet off. Fear takes over Zoot once more. The last thing he wanted is for his partner to find out about his old harmful habits.

"When did ya wake up?" Floyd leans on the wall, crossing his arms,

"When I realized the static was from the TV and not my dream," he replies, walking over. Zoot takes a seat on the floor near the bathtub. Floyd nods at them and walks back to his room. Once he leaves, Lips joins Zoot on the floor, crossing his legs.

"Can ya tell me how this happened?" Asked Lips, tapping one of his bandaged hands. Silence lingers before Zoot looks at Lips, tear streaks drawn down his face.

"I woke up an hour and a half ago and couldn't go back to sleep... I-I figured watching some TV would help, but I started scratching my h-hand again and I didn't realize I broke the... the skin until I went to get some water and dropped the glass in the sink. All of this has been h-happening for the past few weeks. It's gotten worse at night and sometimes during the day. I didn't want the band to worry about me again, so I didn't bother t-to say anything.

"I thought I was stronger a-and better than this, but it all came back, and I... I lost control and... I can't be left alone again. Left without a family, left without friends, left without a home... My father was right, I'm useless..." Zoot hugs his legs to his chest, letting tears fall from his eyes again. Lips moves to his side and pulls him into a hug.

"Whatever happened with your father is in the past. Whatever he said isn't true either. You are a great person to the band, to everyone on the show, and me. We're gonna get through this, I promise," he whispers. Lips' hand takes one of Zoot's bandaged hands and intertwines its fingers with his. Zoot muffles his small cries on Lips' shoulder, breathing in his scent.

"Try and copy my breathing. Can ya do that?" Zoot nods, taking a few deep breaths to calm down. Soon, both are taking slow breaths. Lips encourages Zoot to stand up, turning on the sink again. Zoot slips off his glasses. Lips cups his hands under the water and washes the tears from Zoot's face. Zoot sighs and reaches for his shades to grab nothing. He closes his eyes and holds out his other hand.

"Don't mind your shades for tonight. Let's just get some rest, OK? We'll listen to some music and sleep in as much as ya want". Zoot nods again, letting out a short cough. He lets Lips guide him back to Lips' bedroom, keeping his eyes closed.

Floyd finally walks back to his and Janice's shared room and quietly shut the door. Knowing that his bandmate was going to be in good hands calmed the bass player to fall back asleep. He climbs back in bed and cuddles behind Janice.

Meanwhile, Zoot lays on his back on the bed while Lips grabs extra sleepwear, some earbuds, and an MP3 player. His hands begin to attempt to scratch at the back of his hand again, only skimming the gauze. Lips then returns to the bed with the clothes, earbuds, and MP3 player.

"Change into these. We'll wash your clothes in the morning". Zoot sits up, covering his eyes with one of his hands.

"Are ya sure?" He peeks through his fingers. Lips is holding out extra shorts and a T-shirt from one of their concerts.

"You've slept in the same thing for years and never changed into anything else. This is needed," Lips says. Zoot stands up, takes the shirt and shorts, and changes into them. He places his dirty clothes in the nearby laundry basket and returns to the bed.

"This is what I listen to when I can't sleep. You can use it whenever you'd like," Lips explains, holding out the device to Zoot. Lips gives a quick explanation of the mechanics of the MP3 player. Zoot grabs the device and pops one of the earbuds in his ears and the other in Lips' ear. Lips leans to the bedside lamp, flicking the light off. Zoot turns on the small device and plays the first sound that loads in as Lips pulls the covers over both of them. He grabs Lips' hand and squeezes it. This time, Lips is the first to catch some Z's, leaving Zoot to study his face.

 _How did I fall in love with someone like you?_ He thought. _You're just like Janice, too good for me._ Before long, his eyes drooped as ocean waves whisk him into a peaceful slumber.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Dr. Teeth walks out of his room, after being rudely awakened by Animal, and into the kitchen. A noise had awoken him in the middle of the night, but he was too tired to check it out and figured that nothing outside of anyone's room was valuable. His surprise was a broken glass cup in the sink. The first thought that came to mind was that Animal got up during the night and stumbled around. Floyd then passes the kitchen entrance and heads straight to the living room, laying himself on the couch. Dr. Teeth follows him and leans over the couch as the TV is switched on.

"I don't suppose you know what happened to the glass in the sink, Pepper" The bassist replied with some slurred words, the most coherent words being "Zoot", "scabs", and "bandages". Dr. Teeth sighs and turns his head down the hallway while Floyd continues to speak about what happened that night.

"... And I went back to bed and slept until I heard Animal hitting the door," Floyd finishes. He waves his hand in the air lazily.

"Sorry, my thoughts seem to be drifting off the train of thought. Could you repeat that?" Dr. Teeth turns his attention back to Floyd. The bassist sighs and begins again, shifting his position to face Teeth.

"Zoot was scratching at his hands again last night and I bandaged them up. Lips woke up too, talked to him, and they both went back to Lips' room and I went back to sleep. Anything else, Teeth?" Dr. Teeth shakes his head and walks to Lips' bedroom door. He knocks a few times and waits. Some shuffling is heard through the door and Lips swings it open a couple of minutes later.

"Morning, Doc. What's cooking?" Lips rubs one of his eyes with his hand and stretches.

Janice pokes her head out of the kitchen. "I was, like, thinking we could use this new recipe for breakfast. It's rully organic and healthy!" Lips laughs a bit and Dr. Teeth gives her a thumbs up.

Dr. Teeth directs his attention back to Lips. "In all seriousness for our comrade, how is Zoot? I heard of his actions from Floyd and wanted to make sure our sax player is doing OK". Lips opens the door wide enough for Dr. Teeth to see Zoot. Zoot's face is half-buried into the pillow, yet a faint smile could clearly be seen. Both of the earbuds are placed in his ears and it looked like he finally got a good night's rest.

"We did have a gig tonight, but I'll let you and Zoot stay home". Lips thanks Dr. Teeth for his kindness and closes the door again. 


	10. Reminiscing on a Lazy Day

**Words: 1589**

_Warning: Mentions of Self Harm_

Zoot shifts in bed and slowly opens his eyes. Even though the curtains prevent the bright sunshine from shining through the window, he could tell that he slept in more than he usually does. Zoot takes out the earbuds and gets out of bed, pausing when he sees his bandaged hands again. The memories from last night flash through his mind.

"Hey, you up?" Lips asks, opening the door. Zoot quickly grabs his sunglasses and puts them on. He adjusts his sleepwear while walking to the door. A sweet aroma traveled to his nose from the kitchen.

"Who's baking what now?" Lips puts his hands in his pockets and walks to the kitchen. Zoot follows behind him to see takeout on the counter. He looks over at the digital clock, showing 1:41 pm as the time. Not the latest he's slept in, but still fairly late.

"Hey Zoot, how are you?" Floyd asks, standing at the doorway.

"Better, I guess". Zoot stares back at his bandaged hands. His fingers scratch at the gauze unconsciously. Lips grabs one of his hands and holds it.

"You still have the hickeys from yesterday, remember?" Floyd says, pointing at Zoot's neck again. Zoot rubs his neck with his free hand, only covering one side of his neck. Lips overhears the comment and leans to the other side of Zoot's neck.

"Didn't know I was that good at kissing," he laughs, seeing the dark spots. Zoot rapidly takes his other hand out of Lips' grasp and covers the other side of his neck, his face flush with embarrassment. Floyd lets out a hearty laugh.

"I'll leave you two alone. I wanna learn this new bass tab I found anyway. Dr. Teeth is in the living room with Animal and Janice went to go see Digit," he says before sauntering away. Lips goes to the takeout bag and pulls out a sandwich for Zoot. Zoot leans against the stove, still covering up the hickeys. He shifts his weight from one foot to the other as Lips puts the food on a plate and heats it in the microwave.

"Y'know ya need one hand to eat, right?" Lips asks, grabbing his arm and carefully pulling it from his neck. Zoot turns his head away, trying to avoid seeing his bandaged hand again. He still feels ashamed about the scratching. Lips notices his uneasiness and holds Zoot's hand out, palm up. He traces it to the best of his ability, gliding his fingers past each finger and layer.

"Hey, you aren't the only one who harmed themselves before. I've had my fair share of doubt," Lips states. Zoot looks at him in surprise. The shy trumpet player has been in bad places too?

"It was in junior high," he starts, "This group of guys and gals would gang up on me in the halls and tease me for getting my trumpet stuck to my lips, the trumpet thing happened in grade school. Sometimes it got physical, but it was mostly yelling, whispering, you name it. When I got home, I would grab my Pa's razor, run to my closet, and do one cut each day on either of my legs. It was like that until my Pa caught me when calling for supper. I got whatever professional help they had back in the day and the kids got expelled, but it changed me a bit". Zoot grabs a clean glass and fills it with water. The microwave beeped, signaling that it's finished. Lips takes the sandwich out of the microwave and the couple takes a seat at the table.

"I was always a shy kid. When the trumpet thing happened, it grew. The teasing caused me to have trust issues with others," Lips finishes. Zoot takes a bite from the sandwich, trying to remember the reason why he started scratching. Something his father did, maybe abuse.

"I can never remember why I started scratching. I think it's my father, but I can never remember," Zoot says, swallowing his food, "a lot of times, I'll have nightmares of him. Even though I don't remember what he did, it still impacted me. It may not be what actually happened, but it always feels real. That's... what usually wakes me up from my naps, and... stuff... what were we talking about again?"

"To give you some trust in me, I'll show my scars," Lips says, putting his foot on the chair between him and Zoot and pulling the end of his pants leg to his knee. The skin is littered with faint white scars on the front and sides. Some lines would reach from the side to the back, others starting on the side and crossing over the front, and a few would go from the front to the back. Zoot places his sandwich on the plate and reaches out to touch the scars.

"Why your legs?" Zoot asks. Lips thought about it, his eyelids turning inward.

"Well... playing trumpet doesn't really require using your legs," he simply replies, "keep in mind: I was, and still am, a klutz, so not all of these are from self-harm. Do you see that jagged line? Seven years of age. Fell on a sharp stone in the park. And this one..." They sat there talking about their scars and marks, not noticing Dr. Teeth watching them for a bit.

"You two sound like you're having fun," Dr. Teeth says, scaring both of them. He joins them for a bit, taking a seat across from them. Lips pulls his pants leg back down and Zoot covers his hickeys again.

"C'mon, Doc, warn us before ya do that!" Lips exclaims, still tense.

"Maybe knock or something of the sorts?" Chimes in Zoot, checking to see if he covered his neck enough. Dr. Teeth chuckles and apologizes. He claims that he didn't want to interrupt them, even though he did just that. They glare at the grinning man.

"OK, I didn't think it through, but I just wanted to check in with you. How are you doing anyway, Zoot?" Dr. Teeth says. Zoot doesn't move his hands from his neck. His face was focused on the leg of a chair, thinking about something. Lips answers for him since he thinks Zoot is a bit embarrassed about the love bites.

"Sounds nice. I'm only wondering why Zoot is holding his neck like that," Dr. Teeth says, pointing at Zoot's hands. Zoot sputters out a reason that Dr. Teeth doesn't understand. Lips sees his confusion and points to his own mouth and then to Zoot's neck, causing a switch to flip in Dr. Teeth's head.

"Oh! Well, uh, I just remembered something I needed to do. Have a nice day," Dr. Teeth says, standing up from his seat and walking to the backyard. Lips giggles as Dr. Teeth walks away. Zoot rubs his neck with his thumb, smiling.

"I don't think that's very comfortable, Zoot". Zoot doesn't hear Lips speak, still smiling. Lips waves his hand in front of his face, catching his attention.

"What? ...When did you get here?" Zoot asks. Lips chuckles, saying that he was in a daze. Zoot nods in reply and finishes his sandwich. After finishing, he and Lips go back to Lips' room for quiet time and reading. At least, that's what Lips thinks they're doing. Once they're both in the room, Zoot closes the door. He turns to Lips and grabs him by his hips, bringing them closer together.

"Sax Man? You wanna-?" Lips looks at Zoot but gets cut off by lips on his own. He kisses back, tilting his head to the side. Their lips moved in sync against each other. Lips' arms slip to Zoot's shoulders. Zoot pins Lips to the nearby wall before trailing kisses down his neck.

"Are you... feeling OK... Zoot?" Lips sighs out. Lips only uses the band's real names when he's serious, angry, or anytime he wants to get their attention. Zoot leaves a few hickeys in sensitive spots, making Lips whine a bit, and then trails kisses back up to his lips. They separate, letting out a sigh. They're then interrupted by a knock at the door and Floyd saying that they need to help clean the backyard.

"Be there in a sec, Bass Man!" Lips replies. They leave the room and go to the backyard. Some of the stuff is put away, such as a few boxes and two chairs. Animal was trying to drag an old sofa with Floyd pushing the other side. Lips joins Floyd and Animal with moving the couch and Zoot starts to pick up the foam bullets littered everywhere. Dr. Teeth comes back from putting the vests and Nerf guns away and goes to help Zoot. The three men finally got the couch in the garage and with all the other junk. Animal walks behind Lips when returning to the backyard.

"You three finally got the couch in there?" Asks Dr. Teeth, still picking up the foam bullets. Animal suddenly jumps on Lips' back and knocks him to the ground face first before helping Dr. Teeth. Floyd yanks Lips back to his feet.

"I don't know what's gotten into him. Sometimes it's like he's trying to give ya a concussion and then loving ya like he's never seen ya in years," says Floyd, staring at Animal. The backyard is completely clean once Janice arrives home. They all retreat to their rooms, Zoot situating himself on the couch and taking a nap. 

taking a nap. 


	11. Missing Phone Call

**Words: 1825**

"Seriously, Sax Man?" Zoot opens his eyes to see Lips leaning over him, his eyelids tilted in with agitation. The rest of the band was absent, probably off to their gig by now. The gauze around Lips' arm was new wrapping.

"What did I do exactly?" Zoot asks, sitting up. On the table are two packs of gauze for his hands, one old and one new. Lips simply points to his neck where Zoot had left the hickeys. The dark spots started at the top of his neck and ended at his shoulder.

"Valley Girl pointed them out before they left. Is this karma for the bites I gave you from last night?"

"I didn't think I was sucking that hard. Maybe you just bruise easily," Zoot replies, picking at the gauze on his hands again. Lips opens the new gauze, blushing and grumbling under his breath.

"What are those for?" Zoot asks, pointing at the old gauze on the table. The wrapping on his hand suddenly snaps, scaring both of them. Lips grabs one of Zoot's hands and unravels the old bandages from it. Zoot sees the scabs and frowns. He looks away as the memories of the night before faintly enter his mind. Zoot's fingers twitch inwards in a scratching manner. Lips finishes wrapping one of his hands and moves to the other.

"What do you want to do while they're gone? Play a board game perhaps?" Asks Lips trying to get Zoot's mind off of the scabs. Zoot looks up to a calendar on the wall, finding the date quickly. Friday the 20th. Though it's not an important date for the rest of the band, it's important to him. It's the day that Zoot has his weekly call with his sister to catch up.

"I actually have a phone call from my friend. When I'm done, we'll do something fun. Maybe we can play that game about life or something," replies Zoot, glancing at the wall phone. Lips finishes wrapping his other hand and stands up to put away the gauze. What a strange week everyone's had. Zoot couldn't wait to tell his sister all about it.

An hour passes and no phone call from Zoot's sister. Zoot and Lips had started to play the Game of Life to pass the time. So far, Zoot was winning.

"How are you so good at this?" Lips asks, sorting through his game money. Zoot shrugs and looks back at the phone, wondering when his sister will call. She's always called on Fridays. In fact, they would've been in the middle of a conversation by now. The anxiety makes Zoot pick at the gauze, a habit that Lips reminds him to stop.

"Still waiting for the call from your friend?"

"Yeah. They should've picked up minutes ago".

"Maybe your friend is busy. It's not the end of the world if they don't pick up".

"I guess so..."

"Let's just keep playing for now. I think it's your turn to spin". They play the game for another hour and finish. Zoot won despite not playing the game before. It was when they decided to get Chinese for dinner when the phone rang and Zoot sprung up from his seat. He grabs the phone and answers it excitedly.

"Yes, this is Zoot of the... uh, Electric Mayhem". A bunch of shuffling is heard from the other end and the sound of Animals laughing faintly comes through.

"Zoot? It's Floyd. Listen, we're gonna come back super late tonight. The cops are trying to catch this crazy driver and they said it could go on for a few hours or more. We're gonna take a long way around, so we'll be back at... uh... Teeth, when does our gig end?" Dr. Teeth's voice is heard faintly through the phone.

"He said around 10:45... so add the long way around... we'll be back at one in the morning. See ya," the bassist says before hanging up. Lips walks over to Zoot as he puts the phone back on the wall. He dials the Chinese food place to put in an order, asking what he would like. During the call, Zoot lets out a sad sigh. Maybe she did forget. He'll just have to call her later.

"... Alright, I'll be there to pick it up. Thank you". Lips finishes the order and places the phone back. He looks over at Zoot who's standing a few feet away, looking dejected.

"Could we... watch some TV?" Zoot mumbles, staring at the floor. He needed something to get his mind off of the phone.

"Sure, let's see if your show is on".

*~*~*~*~*~*

The band quietly opens the front door. It was late in the night and the long way around seemed longer than usual. Chinese food faintly hit their noses upon walking inside. Janice sneaks to the couch, seeing Zoot sleeping peacefully with a blanket covering him. Everyone goes to sleep except Dr. Teeth, who surprisingly can't sleep. He's sitting on the front steps again, breathing in the cool night air.

"Can't sleep either?" A tired voice asks. The pianist looks behind him to see Lips walking out in a jacket and his Pjs. He joins the doctor on the steps again and they sit together in the dead of night.

"Yeah. I'm guessing that Mr. Sandman didn't get you yet?" Dr. Teeth takes his rings off and holds them in his hand.

"No, just can't sleep". Lips zips up his jacket and shoves his hands in its pockets. They're silent for a few minutes, listening to the crickets chirping.

"I hope Zoot's weekly phone call didn't get in the way of anything," Dr. Teeth chuckles. Lips looks at his feet.

"Actually, his buddy never called. It worried Sax Man a little, but they might call tomorrow if they're up to it," Lips suggests, laying his head against the railing.

"That's weird. Maybe you're right too. Hopefully, it doesn't take up a bunch of time," Dr. Teeth agrees, yawning. On Fridays, Zoot would've been on the phone for hours talking to his friend. It would be the only day that would spike their electric bill.

"I remember one time that the cord broke in the middle of their conversation and Zoot was anxious until he could call them again. He kept pacing when he was standing and bouncing his leg when sitting. He was a complete mess the whole time," Lips remembers, looking up at the stars. Since both felt more tired, they bid each other Good night and went to bed.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"... And that's why there were no cows before 1972! Curse the Government!" Floyd exclaims, tapping his finger once on the table. Janice and Animal reply with a series of "Ooh's" and "Mhm's". Zoot, Lips, and Dr. Teeth slept in from the late-night they had. Zoot's snores could be heard from the kitchen if someone listened hard enough.

"Like, it feels totally weird to be the only ones awake," Janice comments just as Zoot wakes up. Animal bounds over to the tired man and yells out "Hello" in his ear. The sound was loud enough to wake up Dr. Teeth since he walked out of his room shortly after with his nightcap on, yawning.

"Good morning, Teeth. Sorry for Animal rudely waking you up". Dr. Teeth dismissively waves his hand as he fixes himself a cup of Joe. Zoot pushes the blanket off of himself and sits up to stretch. A few pops and cracks could be heard as he moves his arms and straightens his back. Everyone looks at Zoot as he stands up and joins them at the table.

"You doing good there, Zoot?" Floyd asks. Zoot nods, folding his arms on the table and resting his chin on top. Animal mimics the posture by placing his chin on the table next to him and breathing heavily. Nobody said anything for a good five minutes, just sitting in comfortable silence. Well, as comfortable as Animal's breathing can be.

"Zoot, could you wake up Lips? He needs to perpetually buy a luminous ticket outta dreamland," asks Dr. Teeth before taking a sip of his coffee. Zoot stands up, knocking over his chair in the process, and walks to Lips' bedroom door.

"Whoa, major déjà vu moment," he mutters to himself as he raps on the wood. As usual, the door is unlocked and Zoot walks in. Lips is sleeping on his side, facing the doorway with his arm dangling over the side. A majority of his shaggy hair fell on his restful face and a book laid on the floor near his dangling arm. Zoot grins at the scene and sneaks to the bed. He kneels near Lips' face and carefully moves the hair out of it. No one can really tell if Lips is sleeping since his eyes are in a permanent squint. It's usually if you can hear snoring or he hasn't moved from his spot that indicates he's sleeping.

"Lips, wake up. The sun is shining and it's past 1990". Zoot taps Lips on the shoulder a few times, but Lips just buries his face into his pillow. He leans near his face to try and hear if Lips is actually awake. Lips' limp arm suddenly shoots up and grabs Zoot by his torso, pulling the musician on top of him. The action startles Zoot. He stretches his arms out and catches himself at the last moment, causing his face to be inches away from Lips'. Lips smiles at his embarrassment and boops his nose on Zoots. Both of their faces become covered in blush, mainly from laughing.

"What are you, a kid?" Zoot asks as Lips struggles to catch his breath.

"Gimme a break, brother. I gotta have my fun once in a blue moon," Lips pants out, moving his arms to Zoot's shoulders. Zoot sighs and gives Lips a quick peck before both of them get up and walk to the kitchen.

They walk out of the room and sit at the table. Zoot moves back to his previous position and Lips takes the seat next to him with a bit of blush still on his cheeks.

"Like, isn't that sweet?" Janice asks, smiling at a picture from her magazine. Floyd looks at it and nods. Animal walks to the table with his rabbit in hand, showing it to each band member. As Animal was showing his rabbit to an uninterested Dr. Teeth, someone knocks on the door. Floyd stands up to answer it as audible snores could be heard from Zoot again. Floyd walks back with a package for him, basically some music books for his bass playing.

"Oh, there's a Flea Market in town today! They're selling organic ingredients and other stuff. We should totally go to it, fer sure!" Says Janice, fixing her hair. Everyone nods their head in agreement. They would all go to the Flea Market when ready.


	12. Flea Market Shopping

**Words: 2369**

The band walks up to the lot filled with different stands and a spot with live music. There were stands with fruits and vegetables, baked pastries, jams, and other little trinkets. Janice instantly pulls Floyd over to one of the stands, leaving Animal under Dr. Teeth's care. Luckily, Zoot's hickeys aren't as noticeable as Lips' hickeys and he wore fingerless gloves over his gauzed hands. Lips was also wearing a turtleneck to hide the spots, despite the weather being fairly warm.

"Hey Doc, you don't mind if we go on our own walk, right?" Lips asks Dr. Teeth, who says that he doesn't mind as he walks off with Animal. Lips and Zoot walk down one of the lanes of stands, occasionally trying free samples and checking out miniature wood-carved animal statues. As they were browsing, Lips would intentionally brush his hand against Zoot's and stare in the other direction. This would make Zoot confused, thinking it was accidental since he doesn't have his attention on him. His surprise is Lips slipping his hand into Zoot's and acts as if nothing happened with some visible blush on his face.

"Hey, man, there's some nice beanies over there".

"What? Where?"

"At that stand over there". Lips points to a stand with handcrafted beanies in different colors and patterns. Zoot briskly walks over and starts looking. Lips trails behind him, watching as his partner looked at each of the hats in awe.

"Hey, a striped one. I think I've seen this before," says Zoot, holding up a green and indigo striped beanie. Seeing the hats reminds him of filming their 2011 movie...

_Lips stood in front of the old theater with his music, trumpet case, and letter from Kermit. He inhales deeply and pushes the door open. Inside the lobby were a few Whatnots and Mutations cleaning the walls, floor, lights, everything. He walks past them and into the actual theater, walking down the long aisle where Crazy Harry was working._

_"HEY! It's Trumpet Boy! Nice to see ya back!" Exclaims Harry. Lips waves and asks where Nigel is at. Crazy Harry points to the pit and Lips thanks him. He could see the top of Dolores and Nigel's heads poking out of the pit. Lips taps the conductor on the back of his head and he turns around._

_"Lips! What a surprise to see you here!" Nigel exclaims. Lips smiles, holding up his instrument case. He and Nigel take a stroll to the Band's dressing room, Nigel explaining everything that happened and their game plan for the night._

_"... And I left your gown in the room, so you should be all set to go," Nigel finishes. They were standing in front of the dressing room door when they finished, talking could be heard through the hardwood. Nigel motions to the doorknob with his hand. Lips hesitantly grasps the handle and turns it. The room suddenly goes silent as the door swings open. Five pairs of eyes stare at Lips as the hand around his case handle tightens._

_"I'll leave you to it, Lips," Nigel says before walking away. The shaggy-haired man takes shaky steps in the room, closing the door behind him. The quiet atmosphere is deafening while Lips makes his way to the other side of the room, not making eye contact with anybody. Upon sitting down in one of the chairs, Dr. Teeth lays a hand on his shoulder._

_"H-hey, doc. Did ya... miss me?" Lips asks in a weak voice. He stands up and faces Dr. Teeth, shaking. Both of them stare at each other for a few seconds until Dr. Teeth smiles and pulls him into a tight hug._

_"Welcome back, Lips ol' buddy!" He says as Lips hugs back. Once he's released from one hug, Janice and Animal tackle him into another. They all fall to the ground and give him a good squeeze, laughing happily. Floyd holds his hand out to Lips, pulling him to his feet and patting his back. He looks at Zoot and waves. Zoot ignores Lips' greeting by fixing his hat and turning away. Janice suddenly brings Lips his gown for the pit and ushers him to the bathroom. He changes into it and starts catching up with the others. Lips then notices Zoot walk out of the room and follows him. Zoot goes to the back of the theater and leans against the wall with his arms crossed. Lips walks out of the backdoor and joins Zoot against the wall._

_"Hey, Sax Man. Um... how's it going?" Lips asks, adjusting his sleeve. Zoot looks away, not saying a word._

_"Still play a mean saxophone?" Silence again. Lips sighs, looking at the ground. He sorts through his words and breathes._

_"I'm sorry-"_

_"I don't want your apology"._

_"Well, you're getting one whether you like it or not"._

_"Fine..."_

_"I'm sorry," he starts, "I'm sorry I walked out on the team. I'm sorry I walked out on our friendship. I just... I needed to sort myself out. I know I should've told y'all, but... I wasn't thinking. It was wrong of me to do that and I know I've had a lasting effect on you, Zoot". Lips looks over at Zoot, who's still looking away from him. He begins to walk back inside, but the sound of sniffling stops him. Lips looks back at Zoot, seeing his shoulders move a little._

_"I... don't know what y... you were thinking, but I'm... I'm glad you're back," Zoot says just over a whisper. The blue-haired musician turns to Lips with tears streaking down his face._

_"That was... so stupid... I missed you, Lips," he adds in a shaky voice. Lips walks over and finally gives him a gentle hug. Zoot wraps his arms around Lips, giving him a happy smile._

Lips smiles at the memory. It was great to join the band again and play with them. Zoot finally picks out a hat for himself and buys it. The couple browses around, Lips buying a mood ring during it all, before running into Floyd and Janice. By now, the sun was high in the sky and lunch was just around the corner. Dr. Teeth texts Zoot on the flip phone to meet them at the peach stand. The problem: there were about five peach stands in the market.

"Man, I'm starving. Are you sure the Doc and Wild Man are around one of these stands?" Lips asks, looking around.

"Eh, that's what he texted," answers Zoot, showing the screen of the flip phone to Lips. Animal and Dr. Teeth had gotten lost at the other end of the Market, standing on the sidewalk with Animal's leash in hand.

"Where are they? I said we were by the Peach stand. You see them, Animal?" Animal sat on the pavement, trying to cool himself off.

Floyd walks back to the group at a different peach stand in the middle of the Market. He shakes his head and the band moves to the next stand of peaches they come across.

After half an hour, Dr. Teeth got impatient and started to walk back to the van with Animal. Coincidentally, the band was walking down the same way and reunited with their two lost comrades. As they began to converse, Lips' stomach let out a growl and the band gets some food at a bakery.

*~*~*~*~*~*

It was 3:06 pm when the Electric Mayhem got into their van to head home. Animal was in the passenger seat, sticking his head out of the window with Dr. Teeth driving, and in the middle row was Janice and Floyd listening to music. All the way in the back sat Zoot and Lips, resting themselves against each other. Zoot had his arm around Lips, not yet asleep like he usually is. A question stood in his head.

"Hey, Lips?" Zoot whispers. Lips hums in response. Zoot buries his head in Lips' neck.

"Why haven't you left me already?" He mumbles. Lips moves his head to have a better view of Zoot. Behind his shades, Lips could see his worrisome eyes staring at the ground.

"Why do ya think I'd leave ya?" Lips asks. Zoot scratches his gloved hands, fingernails clawing at the black cloth.

"My past relationships weren't exactly... the best, I think a few started with a One-Night stand. Usually, in serious relationships, the other person would've left after a few days or a month for someone else. The longest relationship I've had was with Janice, and even so, I was the one that broke off from it," Zoot explains, pointing at Janice in front of them. Lips takes one of his hands and links their fingers together. 

"I did tell you that this was gonna be different. I'm not letting you down on my words. I know that sounds childish, but I'm being serious, Zoot," reassures Lips, squeezing Zoot's hand.

"But what if it doesn't work? What if I mess something up and it breaks us apart? What if-" Zoot is cut off by a quick hug from Lips. He hugs back, grasping tightly on Lips' shirt as if he would disappear from his touch. They pull away from each other and lock gazes.

"Even if this doesn't work out, we can still just be friends. Does that sound like a good plan?" Lips asks. Zoot turns his head away with a look of doubt. Lips carefully takes his chin between his index finger and thumb and turns his head back to him, placing a kiss on his forehead.

"Yeah, but... let's just keep this for now," Zoot says, locking their lips in a tender kiss. They separate and Zoot lays his head on his partner's shoulder, falling asleep. Lips moves his arm around Zoot, pulling him into his side and resting his head on top of Zoots.

Dr. Teeth glances in the rearview mirror and smiles happily at them. He turns down their neighborhood and Animal finally brings his head inside the car with his hair all messy. Upon pulling into the driveway, Animal pushes open the door and bounds to the front door. Floyd, Janice, and Dr. Teeth get out of the van, but Lips stays in with a sleeping Zoot.

"Hey Lips, you and Zoot coming in?" Floyd whispers, seeing Zoot fast asleep. Lips raises his head enough to see Floyd leaning on the seat before them.

"I'll just stay in here, for now, Bass Man. Dontcha worry about us. We'll be back in before supper," Lips whispers back. Floyd nods and closes the sliding door, leaving the couple in silence. Lips lowers his head back on Zoot's and they both take a long nap.

*~*~*~*~*~*

_Knock knock knock!_

Zoot wakes up to someone knocking on the van window. He looks up to see Janice with her knuckles resting on the back seat window. In her other hand is a paper with the words "Dinner is ready" in black letters. Zoot slyly takes out the flip phone and texts Janice that they'll be inside soon. She takes out her phone and nods, walking back into the house. Zoot moves his gaze to Lips, who was sleeping with his head on the seat.

"Lips. Hey, Lips".

"Hm... what?"

"I'm hungry. Can we go in?"

"Sure... uh, what's the clock saying?" Zoot holds the flip phone up so Lips can see. The digits showed 7:09 pm. The sun was just setting over the horizon, the sky was a calm periwinkle with clumps of soft cotton balls scattered in different spots.

"Damn, it's late. I should've set an alarm or put a bell 'round my neck," Lips whispers to himself. Zoot shifts a few feet away from Lips to stretch his arms. He looks over at Lips, who's doing the same, mainly studying his face. The scruffy goatee, the messy afro-like hair... it's not just friendship that Zoot fell in love with.

"You're really handsome," Zoot says out loud.

"Uh, thanks. You're pretty handsome yourself," Lips replies, blushing at the compliment.

"Whoa, when could you read my mind?" Zoot asks, blushing also. Lips snickers, covering his mouth with his hand.

"Hey, can I try something?"

"Sure, go for it, Sax Man". Zoot smiles and reaches over, grabbing the hand on Lips' mouth. He pulls it away before pushing Lips against the seat cushion, pinning his wrists above him. With his free hand, he takes Lips' chin and rubs his thumb over his bottom lip.

"This is the "something", I'm guessing..." Lips comments. Zoot places his mouth on Lips', starting with a gentle kiss. Lips kisses back in sync, closing his eyes. Butterflies flutter in Lips' stomach as the couple continues their make-out session. Zoot releases Lips' wrists to hold up his upper body, the hand on Lips' chin now moved to the side of his face. Lips slides his arms over Zoot's shoulders, tangling his fingers in some of his blue hair. The hand that Zoot rested on Lips' face steadily trailed down to the edge of Lips' shirt. It moves under the fabric to the skin and briskly travels back up against Lips' side.

"H-hey!" Lips gasps, arching his back some. Zoot slips his tongue in Lips' mouth, dancing with his partner's tongue. Lips moans loudly as the kiss grows more heated. The air inside the van feels hotter to them both as they lay in the back seats.

They're soon interrupted by Animal knocking on the glass and then running off. A string of saliva connects their tongues for a brief second before Zoot crawls off of Lips and straightens his clothes. Lips moves the seats away and opens the door of the van. Animal slams the front door as Zoot closes the door of the van.

A tsunami of cool air hits the duo when opening the door. Along with the air comes the smell of spaghetti and meatballs.

"Hey, you guys were taking a _rully_ long time to get out, so I sent Animal to help you," Janice said. Animal sat at the table, shoving a fork full of spaghetti in his mouth. Floyd places two plates on the table for the lovers as they take a seat.

This could definitely work.


	13. Little Do You Know...

**Words: 2465**

_Warnings: One curse word (for all you innocent peeps out there), Abuse in a dream._

_Skip forward to 2015, during Up Late with Miss Piggy..._

"Alright everyone, that's a wrap!" Yells Kermit. Everyone in the audience begins to leave as different Muppets begin to pack away the equipment. The Electric Mayhem was backstage, packing away their instruments. Animal had passed out on the floor when Floyd zipped up his bass case. The six of them head out the door and to the van, skipping their after-show party for the night. Everyone's been doing better now. Lips is now noticed a little more by the media, much to his surprise, and Zoot's scratching has improved a lot. Instead of scratching, he'd rub the stone that Janice gave him and he's been using it ever since. His episodes still happen, but Lips is usually there to help and calm him down.

"That was tiresome. I swear this is gonna kill me, man," Lips whispers to Zoot. Zoot nods, drained from all the playing they did. Using your air to play an instrument takes a toll on you, especially late at night. A cool breeze brushes past the band with a collective sigh.

"Hey Doc, throw me the keys," Lips says as Dr. Teeth and Floyd were packing the instruments in the van. Dr. Teeth looks at Lips confused.

"You wanna take the wheel?"

"Just for tonight, Doc. You gotta take breaks too".

"Alright, just for tonight. Thanks, Lips," Dr. Teeth says, throwing the van keys at him. Lips catches the keys and opens the driver seat door. He puts the key in the ignition and starts the car. Zoot climbs in the passenger seat and closes the door. As soon as the trunk is shut and everyone gets inside the van, Lips starts the drive home.

"Too quiet. Play music! Play music!" Animal exclaims from the very back. Lips turns on the radio and fixates on the band's favorite channel, turning the volume up a bit.

"That loud enough for ya, Wild Man?" Lips asks, looking through the rearview mirror. Animal bounces a little with his eyes wide open. Lips looks back at the road, humming along to the song playing. Zoot's gaze is directed to the passing trees and buildings.

"Now I see why you guys like being the ones driven to places," Dr. Teeth comments. Floyd turns around and talks to him for the rest of the drive. Janice leans forward to poke Lips' shoulder.

"What's shaking, Valley Girl?"

"This is a topic we don't usually talk about, but how have you and Zoot been doing?" She asks. Zoot looks over at Janice and then at Lips.

"We've been good, uh... how long have we been dating again?" Zoot counts on his fingers, trying to remember. It was on the tip of his tongue, he knew it.

"A year. And 3 months," Lips answers, hitting the turn signal.

"Right, right. What day is it again?" Lips laughs as Janice whips out her phone, hitting the power button.

"It's October 6th," Janice answers. Floyd overhears this and suddenly remembers something.

"SHIT, I FORGOT!" Floyd screams. The van is quickly pulled to the side of the road with everyone clinging to their seats. Lips and Dr. Teeth both took deep breaths rapidly. Lips was grasping the wheel so tightly that his fingers made indents in the rubber.

"WHAT THE HELL?! ARE YA TRYING TO KILL US, FLOYD?" Lips yells at the bassist, steam coming out of his ears. Floyd adjusts himself in the seat and fixes his hair back into his low ponytail.

"Do you have a reason for scaring us half to death?" Zoot asks. Floyd closes his eyes and leans back.

"I forgot..." He whispers. The band looks at him, wondering what was on his mind.

"Forgot what? Your pick?" Janice asks. Floyd keeps his head on the seat, letting out a defeated sigh.

"No, Matt's birthday. It's today... I didn't even say anything about it when I saw him," Floyd groans sadly, "stupid brain forgetting his birthday..." Janice hugs him from the side and Lips goes back to driving. Dr. Teeth pats Floyd on the shoulder reassuringly. The air is still until Lips speaks up.

"Y'know, I forgot Steve's B-day when it rolled up this year," he admits, "I felt so bad about myself, I think I apologized a million times to him. I even got one of them joke cards to lighten the mood. Maybe I was overstepping it, but he didn't mind. And I'm gonna bet you that Matt doesn't mind either. So no sweat, Bass Man. I'm gonna guess that if you call him tomorrow, he wouldn't mind". Floyd thanks Lips for the assurance as they turn down their neighborhood. Zoot and Lips each take one hand and link their pinkies together.

Everyone moves out of the van, grabs their instruments, and heads straight inside. Lips brings Zoot into his room and puts their instrument cases in the corner of his room. Since Zoot started to occasionally sleep in Lips' room, Lips upgraded his bed from a Twin to a Double for those times. It surprisingly fits in his room at the same place his other bed was.

"Are you sure you want me to sleep in here again?" Zoot asks, rubbing the smooth stone on his thumb. Lips tiredly nods, tossing a pair of pajamas at Zoot. Lips pulls off his shirt as Zoot sits on the edge of the bed with the pajamas in his lap.

"What's wrong? Need help to change?" Lips teases. Zoot shoots him a glare behind his shades, setting his hat on the bed to the right of himself.

"I'm not _that_ old," he huffs, hesitantly pulling off his shirt. Lips looks at Zoot's back to see faded scars and slightly darker blue spots littered on the skin. He's seen them before from Zoot changing in his room from previous times. He pulls the sleeping shirt over his head and unravels the end, still staring at Zoot's back.

"Quit staring, man. I told ya to stop," Zoot wards, throwing his shirt on the ground. Lips changes into a pair of shorts and walks over, sitting on the left side of Zoot. Zoot changes into the shorts Lips gave him, leaving the shirt folded under his hat.

"You wanna do the thing, don't ya?"

"Well, aren't you a mind reader?"

"Let's just get it over with".

"I found a new song you're gonna like".

"What's the difference?"

"You'll actually like it, let's start". Zoot moves to the middle of the bed and faces the headboard with crossed legs. Lips copies him, sitting directly behind the blue-haired musician with his legs crossed as well. He takes his index finger and lightly traces over the scars, humming the tune of _Little Do You Know_. Zoot shivers from the touch, staring down at his stone.

'What are they doing?' You may be asking. Well, Zoot isn't proud of the scars and healed burn marks on his back, despite not remembering where he got them, so Lips made up this activity to prove that having scars isn't bad. Lips would trace the scars and marks with his fingers or thumbs while humming a soothing tune he heard. Each time they did this, Zoot had fallen asleep from either the humming, Lips tracing the scars, or both. There have even been times where he remembers where he got a certain scar, but he'll forget it as soon as he remembers. On rare times, Lips begins to massage a spot by Zoot's request.

Lips switches from his fingers to his thumb and traces over more scars and marks. A scar on Zoot's right scapula triggers a memory and Zoot raises his head, closing his eyes. Lips stops his humming, letting his thumb stay over the scar.

"Summertime," Zoot begins, "I was... in the woods. No, at the beach... wait, I was right the first time. Mother, father, and I went there for a walk or camping... or something... and someone pushed me into a boulder... or a rock. We went to the hospital and... I can't remember the rest... hey, this is a nice rock". Lips goes back to humming and tracing, smiling. He continues until Zoot starts to sway from his tiredness. Zoot grabs the sleep shirt and pulls it over his head, letting out a long yawn. They move under the covers and Lips flips off the lights. Both lay in silence for a minute before Zoot speaks.

"Hey... could you hum that song again?" He asks, laying on his back. Lips turns to his side to face Zoot.

"Sure. Also, I was right," Lips says, smiling. Zoot turns his head at him, looking confused. "About the song. I told ya that you'd like it," he adds. Zoot turns to face Lips and flicks him on the forehead. Lips laughs and begins humming the tune again. Tired eyes close behind the shades as the light music drifts into his ears. Snores are soon heard, signaling the musician's slumber, and Lips moves closer to Zoot before catching some Z's himself.

···

Zoot sat on the edge of his bed with his head hanging low. His mother stood at the door as his father yelled at him. Their eyes burned through his skin, exposing the mountain of shame he hid. 

"Stupid brat!"

"Worthless child!"

"I never wanted you anyways!"

The poison his father spit out made him weak. Tears flowed through his eyes, filling the room. Suddenly, a fist collides with the side of his face and he's knocked to the ground. He called him weak. A weak little rat that can't even stand up after a punch. What kind of boy is he?

"Mom, please-" Zoot is cut off by his mother kicking him in the stomach. She lets out a sinister laugh that echoed throughout the room.

"I thought you loved me!"

"Love you? I've never loved you! I never wanted you in the first place," she replied as she continued laughing. He couldn't take it anymore. The laughing, the words, everything. He began to run. He ran into the darkness, trying to get away from his parent's voices. His laughing mother and angry father were catching up to him. Their pointed fingers reached out and grabbed him, pushing him into the black of the night. When he hits the ground, he stands up again and runs.

 _I'm weak,_ he thought, _I'm weak and everyone knows it. They'll leave me because I'm weak._ He stops, seeing Lips a few feet in front of him. His back was turned to the musician as if he was disappointed. Zoot tried to call out to him, but his voice became dry and he said nothing. He tried to walk to him, but the strength in his legs gave out. Lips starts walking away, muttering "weak" under his breath. Zoot began to run to him as fast as he could. He could see Lips' silhouette get farther and farther away, no matter how fast he ran. Tears stung at his eyes again with his burden chained to his ankle.

"Lips, please! I'm not weak! I-I can prove it! Please, please stay with me! Don't go! Lips, no-!"

···

"NO, STOP!" Zoot yells, jolting up. Beads of sweat fell from his face as Zoot grabs the covers tightly in his hands. The door to the room was open ajar and Lips is nowhere to be found. Zoot's shades sat on the nightstand next to the bed, but that didn't matter right now. He starts to panic, thinking that Lips had actually left him. Tears well up in his eyes as questions run through his head. The shaggy-haired man then comes trudging through the doorway while the sound of a toilet flushing emits in the hall. He closes the door quietly to not wake up Zoot, only to see him sitting up and crying.

"Sax Man? Hey Zoot, what's the matter?" Lips asks, climbing on the bed. Zoot opens his mouth to explain only for a small sob to push its way out instead. Tears pour out more with each sob that came out.

"Hey, c'mere. Did ya have another one?" Lips pulls him into a hug, rocking them both slowly. Zoot nods, sniffling.

"It was, you were... ya left me and... and I was home and they, they _hit_ me, Lips! Th-they hit me and, and called me weak, and stupid, and... and-" Zoot interrupts himself with more sobbing. He pulls at his hair, trying to calm himself down. Lips takes his hands away from his hair and holds them both in one hand.

"Take deep breaths, can ya do that? Copy my breathing. I'm right here". Zoot attempts taking in shaky breaths but gives up, letting out a small cry. He grabs Lips' shirt with one hand and leans his head on the nape of his neck.

"Lips, I... I'm so w-weak," Zoot whispers, "I-I'm so weak, I should've been f-fine by now. My... my parents hate me, Lips. They hate me, man. I... I don't wanna be alone a-again... p-please don't leave me, please". Lips leans his head on Zoot's, rubbing his back with his thumb.

"I ain't gonna leave. I am, and always will be, right here with ya," he whispers back. Humming fills the air again whilst the couple rocks side to side. The sobbing gently eases into short shaky inhales and exhales. The grip on Lips' shirt is gone, replaced by holding his partner's hand. 

"I'm better than this. I should've been able to... to calm me down minutes ago..." Zoot whispers. He fidgets with Lips' free hand, his head resting under his lover's chin. Lips moves both of their heads back to look at each other.

"And you are. You've been doing so much better during the time we've been together".

"Then why are these things still happening?"

"'Cause not everything can be helped. With your situation, not everything will be entirely gone and that's something ya gotta accept-"

"Even if I can't remember it?"

Lips wipes away the dried tear streaks. "Especially if ya can't recall it. Next time, just wake me up when this happens. I'll always be right here". They press their foreheads together, feeling each other's presence.

"Lemme see that smile. C'mon, or I'll make ya," he probes. Zoot lets a grin climb on his lips and they both let out a small laugh.

"How 'bout we get ya some sleep, OK?" Zoot nods and they get under the covers again. He loops his arms around Lips and falls asleep against him. Lips returns the embrace, softly singing the last lyric of the song:

"Little do ya know I love ya 'til the sun dies". 


	14. Early Morning Shopping

**Words: 2116**

Birds chirp loudly outside the house with the sun's rays warming up the grass. Floyd bangs his fist on Animal's door with a towel in hand. The crazy drummer had locked himself in his room when learning it was his bath time. Floyd had only called out to him with his long hair in a bun and a towel hanging on his arm. Thankfully, he has the only key to Animal's room and opens the door. The bassist walks out and into the bathroom with the drummer wiggling in his arms. Thankfully, that day was a free day for the band, so it seemed like the perfect time to give the crazy drummer a well-deserved bath.

The muffled commotion wakes up Lips. The warm rays illuminate the room and the couple. One of his arms is asleep from Zoot sleeping on it. His lover's eyes had visible bags under them from age and sleep and dried tear streaks remained from that night, traveling from his eyelids down to his chin.

"ANIMAL! QUIT FUSSING, MAN!"

"ANIMAL NO LIKE BATH TIME!"

"YOU'RE GETTING A BATH WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!"

Zoot stirs from the ruckus, nuzzling closer to Lips. He presses his head against Lips' neck, letting out a sigh after finding a comfortable position. Lips pats his back and closes his eyes, trying to get back to sleep again. Several loud thumps ruin that plan as more yelling from Floyd and Animal radiates through the house. Zoot opens his eyes, seeing Lips in a clear view. Wait, a clear view of his partner? He goes to adjust his shades, only to notice that they've disappeared. Zoot covers his eyes and rolls off of Lips' arm, facing away from him.

"Now, I can feel my arm again," Lips mutters, stretching. Zoot stays laying on his side, still covering his eyes. Bored, Lips leans over him, placing his chin on Zoot's upper arm.

"Hey, get off my arm. I'm not a cushion, ya know". Zoot shrugs Lips off his arm. He grabs the covers and pulls them up to his neck.

"What if I don't want to?" Lips asks, placing his chin back on his arm. Zoot lets out a small groan, putting his hand on Lips' face and pushing him off. The trumpet player rolls to the edge of the bed, almost falling off.

"My shades". Lips grabs the sunglasses and pokes his lover with them. Zoot sits up with a hand over his eyes and reaches out to retrieve them. His hand oddly misses the glasses and he tries again, reaching farther. It turns out that Lips was moving his hand out of Zoot's reach with each attempt to grab them. The shaggy-haired man chuckles as his lover's hand grabs at the air again. The hand that covered Zoot's eyes is removed, joining his other hand in trying to catch his glasses.

"Gimme my shades, man". Zoot swipes at the air again. He was pressing up against Lips with his eyes still closed.

"This is so funny, I'm so sorry," Lips replies through fits of laughter. By now, the glasses are just an inch away from the musician's fingertips and the man can't lean in any farther. Zoot got tired of this game, hitting Lips' chest a few times. They weren't hard hits, but enough to get him coughing between laughing. His arm, however, didn't lower and Zoot's glasses were still too far to reach. Lips then calmed himself.

"Why won't you give them to me?" Zoot asks, still swiping his hand in the air.

"Why won't ya lemme have fun?" Lips retorts back playfully. Zoot growls faintly, swiftly slipping one of his arms around his partner's neck and falling back on the bed. The action pulls Lips down with him. Lips hovers himself over Zoot as all of his hair falls over their faces. Zoot finally retrieves his shades and slides them on his face. Once he opens his eyes, the view of Lips' face comes to view. Even though they've shared many kisses, he's always mesmerized by the facial features of his partner.

"You got nice hair," Zoot whispers, running a hand through Lips' hair. Lips grins and leans down to kiss him. They start with a few small pecks before getting more intimate. Each touch sent off sparks of ecstasy through their skin. Zoot suddenly has his hands pinned to the bed by Lips, who turns his head to the side to deepen the kiss. Tongues danced together in pure bliss. They stay like that for a few minutes.

In the meanwhile, Floyd and Animal started a Cat and Mouse chase throughout the house. Animal slams into Lips' door during the chase, scaring the couple from their make-out session.

"We should check on the Bass Man. He sounds like he needs help," Lips says, moving off of Zoot. They get off of the bed and make their way to the door.

"We'll finish this later. Maybe I'll have my own fun with ya," Zoot growls roughly in Lips' ear. The trumpet player's face becomes flush in red as they walk through the doorway. Floyd walks past the men carrying Animal in a towel burrito. Animal's hair was damp and he was shivering. Floyd stops when he sees them, adjusting Animal in his arms.

"Hey, did we wake ya?" he asks. Both shake their heads and walk to the kitchen. Janice stood at the dishwasher, waiting for the dishes to be finished.

"Oh, wow! You two, like, totally up earlier than usual," she comments while Lips fixes himself a cup of coffee. Animal runs past the doorway to the backdoor fully clothed. He had his drumsticks in his hands and soon enough, drumming was heard in the backyard. Lips takes his coffee and takes a sip, letting the warm liquid pour down his throat.

"Oh, like, that reminds me! Lips, you and I were gonna go clothes shopping at the mall today!" Janice says as the dishwasher finishes.

"That's today? Gimme a few minutes, I'll be ready," Lips replies, finishing his coffee. He leaves the kitchen to change. The Valley Girl notices Zoot still standing in the kitchen and suggests that he helps her with the dishes. As they dry the plates and silverware, Janice asks a question out of the blue.

"How have you been?" She asks.

"Just a bit better, I guess," he answers, "I've had a few nightmares. Just-just a couple".

"And how has your, like, relationship with Lips going?" Janice adds, placing a bowl in the cupboard.

"Oh, uh. It's good too, I guess". Zoot puts the silverware in the drawer.

"Your voice doesn't sound like it. What's rully up?"

"Well," he begins, "I kinda feel like we aren't getting anywhere. I know the band's been busy with the... uh".

"The show".

"Right. It's like I've practiced my saxophone my whole life, but can't learn anything else. Like a smooth line. Wait, where did I put my rock?" Zoot puts the last plate away and looks around for his stone.

"Have you two, like, been out on a date recently? Like, going to the movies or something?" Janice suggests. The saxophone player tilts his head in confusion.

"Just a few. Not recently since we're busy, but a few in the past. Then again, it would be nice to just chat without anyone intruding," he mentions. The door to Lips' room swings open, showing Lips in his usual dashiki.

"All ready, Valley Girl," he announces running his hand through his hair. They bid Zoot goodbye, Lips giving him a quick peck on the lips, before getting into the van and driving off. The burned-out musician plops himself on the couch and takes a nap.

While they drove, Janice went over what stores they could go to. The only problem was that Lips wasn't listening to anything she was saying.

"... There's also this store that you would like! It's totally your style and... Lips? You, like, listening?" She asks, snapping her fingers near his ear. Lips hums in reply, turning onto the main street.

"I was talking about this one store, but you weren't listening. Something on your mind?" She asks as the van brakes at the intersection. The shaggy-haired man rubs his eye tiredly.

"No, Valley Girl, I just feel like I didn't catch enough Z's when I woke up this morning," he explains, letting a yawn slip through his lips. "I'm awake enough to go shopping with ya though. No need to worry". The light turns green and the van continues the drive to the mall. Janice goes back to talking about the stores they could go to with Lips nodding at each suggestion. The mall parking lot wasn't very crowded when they arrived, so they found a parking spot easily. Their local mall was fairly big with a couple of food courts, a ton of stores, and a theater. Janice leads Lips to one of the nearby stores.

"Whoa, this is new," Lips comments as he glances inside. Shirts of different colors and designs were hung on the walls and scattered on clothes racks. There were also little trinkets such as crystals, jewelry, and stone figurines in bowls and on tables. In the middle of it was a female cashier behind the check-out counter, reading a magazine. Our trumpet player walks over to one of the racks and looks through the shirts like an excited child.

"I thought you'd like it!" Janice exclaims, picking up a crystal. The cashier gives them a wave, not once looking up from her magazine. A good half an hour was spent browsing in the little shop before the two musicians chose something of their liking. Lips had a beaded necklace that was similar to his original on the old show and Janice picked out a new shirt.

Lips offers, "I'll pay, Valley Girl. No fret". The cashier rings up their items and hands over the bag, still reading her magazine. Janice thanks the girl as Lips grabs the bag and they head out of the store. After going into a few more stores, the duo decides to head home and climbs back in the van. Janice's phone suddenly rings in her purse. The caller was Floyd.

"Like, hey Floyd Pepper!" She answers as Lips pulls out of the parking space.

"Jan! Is Lips with ya?"

"Yup! He's driving. Ya, like, need him for something?"

"Put him on the phone. Or better yet, put me on speaker". Janice holds her phone up and switches it to speaker mode.

"What's shaking, Bass Man?" Lips turns down the main road.

"Lips! Zoot's having an episode again. We've tried to calm him down, but nothing's working, man. Get here as soon as ya can!" Some commotion could be heard in the background along with Animal's loud talking.

"When did he start?"

"Not too long ago, Mama. About five minutes, I think". Janice notices Lips tense posture as he stares at the road.

"We'll be there soon, man. Just talk to him, sound assuring, and hang in there". Lips hangs up on Floyd to move his focus on the road. Janice puts her phone away and twiddles her thumbs.

She finally speaks up "He's gonna be OK, right?" The trumpet player's grip tightens on the steering wheel again.

"Yeah, he's gonna be fine. I dunno why I'm tense, this happened many times before," Lips answers, easing his grip on the wheel. Soft piano music travels to his ears from the car and he lets a sigh escape his lips.

"Have you been stressed?"

"No. Even if I was, I would take a break. I'm not though, so I don't need a break".

"What happened that could, like, make you stressed?"

"Lemme think" he starts, "I got that surgery for a revamped body a while ago, we started the filming of this new show, I have a lecture or four in a few days-"

"Yeah, you're totally stressed out, Lips. You need a rully relaxing break".

"Valley Girl, I... OK, maybe I do need a break, but right now, I'm a bit worried about my partner and need to get to him". A hand is felt on his shoulder, rubbing their thumb. "Thanks" he finally says, stopping at a stoplight.

"After you help out Zoot, we're gonna cleanse your aura. It's looking a little grey". The light turns green and the van lurches forward. How fast did they arrive home? I'd say they made a new record from when Animal got a hold of the keys and took himself for a wild ride.

Lips jumps out of the van. He rushes to the door and pushes it open. 


	15. A Normal Day at the Studio

**Words: 2292**

Sitting on the couch was Zoot taking short, quick breaths. Floyd was sitting on his left, talking to him, while Dr. Teeth sat on his right, holding his hand. Animal sat at his feet, a look of worry plastered in his eyes. Janice then stands at the door and covers her mouth at the scene, gasping.

"You'll be OK, Zoot. Lips is here. He's gonna help ya," Floyd assures before the three men and Janice slowly leaves the room. Lips walks over to Zoot and sits next to him. He takes both of Zoots hands and holds them on his own.

"Zoot. Hey, Zoot. Tell me where ya are".

"H-home. I... I'm at home, I think... dad's gonna get me, he's gonna get me... he's coming to beat me, he's coming to beat me, he's gonna kill me..."

"Your dad ain't here. He ain't gonna try to get ya. I'm here. Lips is here". Lips rubs his thumbs over the musicians' knuckles.

"No. No, he's here. I-I can hear him, he's coming. He's gonna beat me, and burn me, and... and..." Zoot tightly squeezes Lips' hands with a tear rolling down his cheek.

Lips whispers, "Zoot. Repeat after me. Dad isn't here. Dad isn't here".

"D-dad... isn't here... Dad isn't... here. Dad isn't here. Dad. Isn't. Here". The darkness that Zoot saw faded away, revealing the living room's television. His breathing relaxes and the tense grip he had disappeared. He looks to his left, seeing Lips sitting next to him. Lips reaches up and wipes the tears off of his partner's face, cupping his cheek.

"You're OK, Zoot".

"I'm sorry. I don't mean for this to happen, it just does. Am I a burden to you?" Zoot whispers, holding Lips' hand against his cheek. His body was shaking as he nuzzled the trumpet player's hand.

"You're never a burden to me. I could never be angry at ya, ever". They sit on the couch in silence before Zoot speaks up.

"I... I wanna take a nap".

"Alright, you take a nap. I'll be with Valley Girl if ya need me," Lips informs. He stands up and walks to Floyd and Janice's shared room as Zoot moves in a comfortable position on the couch. He didn't fall asleep yet. So many thoughts ran through his mind, it hurt just to think. He slips off the couch and goes to Lips' room, looking for the MP3 player.

Meanwhile, Janice and Lips sat on the floor with their legs crossed, facing each other. Lights were dimmed and curtains covered windows.

"So, you're gonna close your eyes and just breathe deeply. Don't move your shoulders, neck, or upper chest muscles a lot. You wanna feel calm and let everything that's bottled up out," she explains, "doing this for ten minutes each day should, like, help you with your stress. I have the timer set". Lips nods and the timer starts. Their view is engulfed in darkness with the only sound is inhales and exhales of oxygen.

Zoot walks out of Lips' bedroom with some earbuds and the MP3 player and lays back down on the sofa. He curls up against the arm as forest sounds lull him to sleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Dr. Teeth shakes the sleeping musician awake. It was half-past noon and he wanted to know what Zoot wanted for lunch.

"Zoot. C'mon buddy, it's one of the most fundamental meals of the day," a muffled voice says.

"What? It ain't morning again, is it?" The earbuds are plucked from the tired man's ears and put on the coffee table along with the MP3 player. Zoot sits up and rubs his eyes under his shades, a blanket falling off his torso. Behind Dr. Teeth was Janice painting her nails at the table and Animal gnawing on a muffin.

"It's confidentially not morning, it's afternoon. I was asking ya what you wanted for your midday meal," Dr. Teeth repeats, holding a phone in one hand. Zoot waves his hand in the air, not caring much about his meal. Dr. Teeth shrugs and walks away, adding a salad to their order. Zoot lays back down as he pulls the blanket back over his torso. The cushion under his head is suddenly elevated. He looks up to see Lips, who was going to read his book until Zoot laid his head on his leg.

"Oh. Sorry, are you gonna read?"

"I still am. You're not stopping me. You can stay, Sleepyhead," Lips replies, pushing some of the tired man's hair out of his face. Zoot turns to his side, facing the back of the couch. He sleeps like that even after the food arrives and Lips position as his pillow disappears. Floyd commands Animal to wake him up with his bad breath again. The band doesn't turn around to know that Zoot woke up, they could hear the thump from the living room. Lips eats his food with his book in hand, still reading.

"Animal! Get off, man! I said: get off!" Zoot finally sits at the table after a mini wrestling contest with Animal on the floor. His hair and clothes were messy with the only thing that was fine were his shades. Floyd was laughing his hat off as Zoot sat in a chair. He looks at the bassist before digging into his salad.

"The frog wants us at the studio after our meal. So get your stuff ready soon," Dr. Teeth announces. After everyone finishes their lunch, each split up to gather their items.

"Can't find drumsticks!"

"They're right there, Animal. Right in front of you".

A crash sounds through Lips' door as the brass players gather their instruments and sheet music. Lips tucks his music under his arm and grabs his instrument case. Zoot follows suit, fixing his hat in the process. Before either of them leave the room, the tired musician stops his partner in his tracks and turns him around.

"Hey Lips, I was wondering. Can we, uh, go on another date sometime?" He asks, rubbing his neck.

"I was actually gonna ask you the same thing tonight. I guess great minds think alike, huh?" Lips replies, "and to answer your question, yes. I will go on another date with you". He turns back around and walks out the door with a smirk on his face. As soon as he's out of sight, Zoot smiles at himself happily.

"Zoot! Get your butt in the van or we're leaving without ya!" Floyd shouts from the front of the house. Zoot scrambles out of the room and through the front door to the van.

"Don't rush me, man. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" He retorts to the bass player, holding his case and sheet music in his lap.

"You were too slow. We gotta get to the studio". The band arrives at the studio a few minutes later. As they get out of the van, they notice the business of the set. Sweetums passes them with a headset in hand and Yolanda scurries between Janice's feet, calling for Rizzo. Crazy Harry greets Lips as he passes by, giving the trumpet player a high five.

"Hey guys, I got your stuff!" A booming voice calls out. Dr. Teeth suddenly feels Lips hide behind him fearfully and everyone soon sees why. The source of the voice was none other than Big Mean Carl, who ate Lips during their production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Carl never apologized after that scene, forgetting the new trumpet player's anxiety, and Lips has been a bit fearful of the bunny eating monster ever since. Carl walked up to the group with a box in his hands. As he approaches them, Lips turns his back to face the other way. If he can't see the monster, it should calm his nerves long enough until he leaves.

"Kermit told me to give you guys this box and to get to the stage quickly. He also told me to tell you if you see Miss Piggy to SHAD UP!!! That's it," he informs. Lips' body tenses up and starts to shake from Carl's outburst. Thankfully, Zoot notices his behavior and places a comforting hand on his shoulder. Our trumpet player relaxes a tad but still shook as if he got hit with cold air.

"We'll totally say nothing to Miss Piggy, but can we get to the stage? Thank you," Janice finishes up after noticing Lips' current state. The band hurries past Carl and to the stage. Their instruments were definitely placed neatly on the floor before assisting Lips, who's shaking seemingly got worse. Floyd and Zoot guide him to a seat in the audience and sit him down as Animal runs off to get some water.

"Alright, Lips. You're fine, you're OK. That Carl guy ain't here no more," the bassist reassures. Animal bounds back to the group with a water bottle. Dr. Teeth takes the bottle and hands it to Lips.

"Thanks, Doc".

"No problem, Lips. We should really get this thing sorted out now that I think about it," the Doctor remarks.

"Yeah, so we don't have this happening each time he's in the room," Floyd adds as Lips takes a sip.

"You, me, and Janice will go and chat with the monster. Animal and Zoot will stay with Lips," the keyboardist plans. He, Janice, and Floyd walk away from the stage to find Carl.

"You gonna be good?"

"Yeah... let's open the box in the meanwhile".

"Sure. Hey Animal, bring that box over. Let's see what's inside!"

Inside the office, the three musicians began their search for Carl. It shouldn't have been that hard to find him, right? If he was at his desk, then yes. Soon, the news of Scooter getting a mild cold and staying home was brought to the three's attention. Specific Muppets were given the job of taking over his place in shifts. Currently, it was Carl's shift, which meant he could be anywhere in the building by now.

"I've asked everyone, even Sweetums, and no one's seen him!" Floyd exclaims, throwing his hands in the air. The doctor and guitarist hadn't seen him either and gave up.

"Maybe he got swept away into the universe," Janice suggests. Maybe not the brightest thought they could think of. Dr. Teeth suggests that they regroup back at the stage until Carl is seen again. Upon approaching the stage, fits of Animal's laughter rings through the air. In the seats were Lips, Zoot, and Animal where they left them. A book was open in Lips' lap and Zoot was pointing at something on the page.

"Ain't that funny, Wild Man?" Lips asks while Animal laughs his head off. The others walk over, catching the attention of the three men. Floyd almost trips over the remains of the box.

"What's that? It looks rully important," Janice asks. Pictures of Lips were displayed on both pages along with stickers and notes. It looked like it was from his grade school years. His hairstyle was sticking up almost everywhere with bangs over his eyes.

"My ma sent a scrapbook of my life up until I flew the coop. She did this to my older brother too. Weird that mine was sent here and not the house," the trumpet player answers. Animal sits up and turns the page happily. For the rest of the time, the band looks through the book, pointing out different moments.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"And we're off. Nice going, you guys".

"Hey, meet up again at Rowlf's tonight!"

"Mee mee mee mee mee mo!"

"Don't order the drinks without me this time!"

Lights facing the stage switched off as everyone packed their belongings. As usual, the crew would have their after-party at Rowlf's across the street. Lips had his new scrapbook tucked under his arm. Dr. Teeth already had their instruments packed in the van, so all they had to do was walk across the street.

"You coming, Jan?" Floyd calls out.

"You stay and wait for your main squeeze, Floyd. We'll go ahead," Dr. Teeth insists. The three men depart from their comrades since Animal wanted to stay with Floyd. The tavern wasn't crowded and fairly peaceful, with the only noise coming from the table of work-friends past the bar. Zoot notices the scrapbook tucked under Lips' arm as they walk over.

"You brought the book?" He whispers to his partner. Lips nods, taking the seat between Zoot and Beaker.

"I haven't finished looking through yet. Besides, no one ain't gonna mind anyways!" He whispers back, holding it on his lap. No one has noticed the presence of the book at all. May I remind you, they haven't had a drink yet either.

"What page did we leave off on?" Our saxophone player asks. Lips discretely opens the book up on the last page they were on. Most of the couple's time that night was spent looking through the scrapbook and pointing out the funny and embarrassing pictures inside.

"You two seem very invested in that book," a voice comments behind them. Both jump in surprise, Lips quickly clamping the book shut. Behind the couple was Rowlf with a cup of water in his paw.

"Rowlf! Wanna give a warning before you decide to kill me?" Lips breathes out. The brown dog only chuckles and places the glass of water on the table in front of Zoot.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist. You two have been looking at that book almost as soon as you sat down. So into it that ya didn't notice Beaker move to another table," he says, "Hey, what is it anyway?" He didn't stay too long, but long enough to laugh at a few pictures himself before returning to work. 


	16. Rainy Sick Day

**Words: 1739**

A beautiful day always has sunshine and clear skies! Well, not today. Dark clouds blanketed the blue sky, turning the area into a dull and gloomy mess. Zoot was curled up in a blanket on the couch with only the sounds of raindrops keeping him in a peaceful slumber.

Until Janice ruins it by shaking him awake. He opens one eye, seeing the blonde with something behind her back.

"Jan, what are you doing? It's raining, come back when it stops". Zoot pulls the blanket over his head only for it to be pulled off by Animal.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but there was this package on the porch for you and I didn't want Animal to destroy it. Here," she says, placing a box in front of his face. He grabs it and opens it. Inside were cleaning supplies for his instrument. He had ordered them a few weeks ago and they finally decided to show up.

"Huh, about time these came," he says, sliding the box under the coffee table. Meanwhile, Floyd bangs his fist on Lips' door with Animal next to him in a yellow raincoat. The shaggy-haired man opens the door, already in his clothes. His eyes were tired and had visible lines under them.

"It's your turn to take Animal on a walk," Floyd informs, holding Animal's leash. Lips grabs Animal's leash before leaving with the crazy drummer, completely forgetting any shelter from the rain. Zoot watches them as drops of water beat down on the ground.

"So, like, when are you two having that date?" Janice asks suddenly.

"What?"

"You said you and Lips were, like, going on a date".

"Uh, we haven't decided yet. When he gets back, we'll talk about it".

"And, like, don't run to the park in the rain again, OK?"

"I'll try, Janice". The flower child smiles and nods, leaving him alone. During his wait, Zoot switches the television on in hopes of passing the time. He falls asleep at some point but wakes up after the front door is slammed open. Animal throws his raincoat on the floor and runs to his room to play. Zoot peeks over the couch to see Lips soaking wet and shivering. Yellow fluffy hair stuck to his face and reached down to his shoulder blades. All of his clothes stuck to his body. He walks to his bedroom and shuts the door.

"Maybe I should've let him grab a jacket or something first," Floyd thinks out loud. Zoot sighs and heads to the trumpet player's room. After knocking on the door, Animal runs back out of his room and almost trips Zoot. Lips opens the door from the noise, still shivering. He was still in his wet clothes, but his damp hair was pulled into a messy high ponytail. On his shoulders was a damp blanket.

"Lips, you look terrible".

"T-Thanks, you're so nice".

"Can I come in?"

"Can ya get t-the thermometer before ya d-do?" Zoot leans forward, pressing their foreheads together. Heat arises to Lips' cheeks at the action and Zoot moves back.

"You don't feel warm, but I'll get it". He retrieves the thermometer from the bathroom and returns to Lips' room. The trumpet player was sitting crossed-legged on his bed enveloped in the blanket. Some of it was damp from his hair and clothes, making it lose its main purpose.

"You got the t-thingy, right?" Zoot waves the small device in his hand and takes a seat next to Lips.

"I don't know if I'm right, but I think you're supposed to change after getting soaked," Zoot points out. His words aren't taken into consideration at first. The thermometer was already sticking out of Lips' mouth. It beeps and Zoot takes a look at the temperature.

"100.2 degrees. It's not bad yet, but you're gonna get warmer". Zoot places the thermometer on the nightstand and grabs a random shirt and pair of pants.

"What are you doing, Z-Zoot?"

"Getting clothes for you to change in. In fact, why don't you change now?" Lips grabs the clothes and stands up to change. During that, Zoot throws the damp blanket in the laundry basket.

"H-Hey, my blanket!"

"I'll get mine from the couch". Zoot leaves the room for a minute and returns with his own blanket. Lips was sitting crossed-legged on the bed again, rubbing his arms. The blanket is draped over his head as Zoot sits at his side again.

"G-Gee, thanks. That totally helps," Lips says sarcastically. He pushes it off his head and wraps himself in it.

"I'm surprised y-you didn't go and dowse yourself in the r-rain again," he comments. Zoot looks over at him and shrugs. 

"It's tempting, but Janice would've stopped me". Lips wraps the blanket around Zoot also, pulling him to his side.

"W-Why do you do that anyway?"

"Do you really wanna know?" The trumpet player nods and Zoot lets out a sigh.

"I do it to wash away the pain. Every bad thing that comes to my mind is washed away with the water, you know? It helps a ton. Then the voices don't get so loud," he says, staring into space. Lips lays his head on his lover's shoulder, nuzzling his neck.

"You really g-gotta tell me these things, Sax Man". They shared a laugh before thunder violently shook the house. Animal laughs loudly from the living room as his bunny hops past the doorway.

"It's funny. You got sick instead of me this time," Zoot says, holding Lips' hand.

"I-I remember saving you from getting sick. The first time I stayed over here," Lips remembers. Zoot closes his eyes, trying to remember...

_The rain seemed endless as Lips ran down the street with an umbrella in hand. He wore a green jacket zipped up and the hood covering his head. Water shot down harder on his back as he ran to the park. What happened before seemed to happen in a blur. One second they were all chilling on the couch and the next moment, Zoot had bolted out of the door! It was raining for crying out loud!_

_"Sax Man! Where are you?! What's his name? Uh, Zoot!" He yelled. After a couple of seconds, he found his friend. Zoot was standing in the rain, glasses in his hand, and practically drenched. His head was facing the sky while water fell. Lips quickly opened the umbrella and ran up to his new bandmate._

_"Sax Man, why did you run out here? You could catch a cold, brother!" Lips scolded. Zoot opened his eyes and looked over at the new trumpet player._

_"New guy? What are you doing here?"_

_"Worried about you! You just ran outta the house like you saw a cockroach on the wall!" Zoot looked away and put on his shades._

_"You shouldn't care about me, new guy," Zoot said, looking back at him._

_"But you're part of the band! I_ should _care about you. Give me one reason why I shouldn't care about you," Lips asked. The sound of the pouring rain fills the silence. They walked back to the house without another word until Zoot spoke up._

_"Thanks for caring about me, Lips," he thanked, finally remembering his name._

_"You're welcome, Zoot"._

Zoot lets out a sigh and moves a few strands of hair from Lips' face. Lips had fallen asleep on his shoulder, cuddled into his side.

"I'm glad I didn't lose you," mumbles Zoot, "I don't know what I would do without you".

*~*~*~*~*~*

Raindrops pound on the windows and a loud crash of thunder wakes up Zoot. Pressed up against him was Lips, clutching the blanket and shivering. A majority of his hair was finally dry and began to puff out. After laying his partner on the bed and under his bedsheets, Zoot sneaks out of the room to the kitchen. Floyd was washing the dishes at the sink when Zoot walked in.

"Did you have a nice nap?" he asks while scrubbing a plate.

"Sure, one of the many naps I take a day," Zoot replies before yawning. He grabs a mug and fills it with milk, taking a long sip out of it.

"How's Lips doing? I saw Animal kinda drag him out of there in a rush this morning".

"Cold, but fine. He was starting to burn up so I think we should keep him home for a while," suggests Zoot. Floyd nods as he places the last plate on the drying rack and Zoot finishes his cup of milk. As if on cue, Lips walks through the doorway enveloped in Zoot's blanket. He looked drowsy and still shivered as if it was -20 degrees outside.

"When did you get up?" Zoot asks, handing his cup to the bassist. The trumpet player shrugs and pulls the blanket around him more. Sticking from between his fingers was the thermometer. Zoot walks over, plucks the device from Lips' hands, and lays it in his mouth.

"Dang, Lips looks terrible. I'll grab you a bottle of orange juice". During the retrievement of the bottle, the thermometer beeped and Zoot took a look at the temperature.

101.4 degrees. Lips was definitely staying home for a few days.

"You're staying home, Lips".

"W-What? Why?"

"You just are. No questions asked". Floyd quickly hands Lips the orange juice and heads to Animal's room. 

"But I-I have questions, Sax Man. I want to know".

"I am _not_ telling you, Lips. Drop the subject". Determined, Lips blocks the doorway and corners Zoot in the kitchen area.

"Tell me, Zoot. You have nothing to hide with me". He can't escape what he started and Zoot sighs agitatedly.

"You really wanna know why? Lips, have you seen yourself?! You're taking my place when I come back from running in the cold rain. You were out there for almost as long as I usually stay out there! I didn't think I would survive those colds because they were so bad! I... I can't lose you". Lips gives Zoot a sympathetic look, sensing the saxophone player's concern. He reaches out a shaking hand and cups Zoot's face.

"Zoot, I know you're concerned about m-me catching this cold, but you have to have some f-faith that I'll be OK. I always heal from t-these. It'll be gone in no time," Lips reassures. Both share a smile before Lips sneezes and they head back into his room for more sleep. 


	17. Sibling in Trouble Part 1

**Words: 2721**

_Warning: One curse word_

True to Zoots word, Lips stays home until he feels better. Of course, staying in a house while the others go to the studio makes the sick trumpeter very boring. Their TV wasn't working after Animal had somehow messed up their fuse box in the basement and his book was finished by the second day of staying sick. The only thing that's left was an old Gameboy Color with three original Pokemon games and Pokemon Blue wasn't even loading onscreen anymore! He even called his older brother, which he rarely does. Right now, Lips was sitting on the couch with the Gameboy in hand and beating Erika the Gym Leader once again.

 _I hope everyone's having a better time than me. I'm dying of boredom,_ Lips thinks.

Meanwhile, at the studio, the band was rehearsing their music without Lips. The atmosphere seemed quieter without the trumpeter around. Even Animal was calmer than ever.

"Man, it's boring without Lips around," Floyd comments, plucking a few notes on his bass. Everyone nods in agreement just as Matt Vogel walks past. Floyd excuses himself from the group to catch up to his puppeteer. Zoot takes out his flip phone and texts Lips, checking in on him. Lips replies that he's good, but bored and wishes that he was with him right now. Floyd returns with a content smile on his face.

"Well?"

"Lips was right, Matt was OK with the belated card".

"He'll be happy to hear that". Zoot's phone vibrates in his hand. It was from his sister, so it must be very important for her to call him directly. He excuses himself from the room to answer the phone.

"Hello?"

"Z? It's your sister, Margret. Listen, I may not be able to call you for a while because of... well, something that came up," a distressed voice answers.

"What's going on? You sound scared". Faint yelling could be heard on the other side as Zoot's demeanor changes.

"There's no time to explain but remember that I love you, brother. When, or if, I get out, I'll call you again". The call ends with a soft click and silence follows after. He slips his phone into his pocket and walks back into the room silent.

"Hey, man, who was that?" Dr. Teeth asks as Zoot sits down on the couch. His gaze was fixated on the floor the entire time. Many questions run through his head from the quick conversation. The main one being: Who does he need to take on? Whatever was going on with his sister sparked some mixed emotions. He felt angry, confused, and distressed. Right now wouldn't be a great time to reveal the truth about him having a sister, especially with the absence of Lips. But what else can he do? His sister could be in big trouble as he speaks, er thinks!

"Well?"

"Guys, I just got a call from my sister and I think she's in trouble". The band looks shocked at Zoot. Firstly, he had a sister? He should've told them. Secondly, she's in trouble? This was a very serious matter to discuss.

"Do you know where she is?" Dr. Teeth asks worriedly.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling where". Zoot stands up and dials a different number, stepping out of the room again. Minutes pass when he steps in again with a dark look on his face.

"I know where she is, but I don't want to leave the studio or leave you guys if I need back-up," he says, slipping the flip phone in his pocket. Everyone looks at each other in a silent discussion before Dr. Teeth nods and they stand up.

"Well, Zoot, let's go find your sister!"

"What about Kermit?"

"The frog won't mind if we're gone for a few days. Now, let's pick up Lips and get a move on," Floyd reassures, grabbing his bass.

"Zoot, give me the address where you think she is".

"I'll write it down". The band leaves the studio and drops by their house to grab Lips. The trumpet player was found on the couch with the Gameboy next to him. You can guess his surprise when Animal runs in and begins to drag Lips to the van. Dr. Teeth, Floyd, and Janice trailed behind to grab their personal belongings for the trip.

"Guys, what's going on? Where-" his questions are cut off as the drummer almost throws him in the back seat. Thankfully, someone cushioned his fall because he let out a pained groan.

"Animal! Be careful, he's sick!" Floyd yells from the front door as he scrambles to the passenger's seat. Lips looks up to see his lover pressed against the seat, his shades falling askew on his face.

"Sax Man, what's going on? Did the Bass Man call for an emergency meeting?"

"Lips, I have a sister and she's in trouble and we're gonna save her," Zoot quickly explains. He looks back a bit confused. Zoot had told that band that he never stayed in touch with his family when he left them. Lips sits up next to Zoot and faces him, still wrapped up on a blanket.

"Zoot, why didn't you say anything before?"

"I just got the call today-"

"I'm talking about your sister". Zoot becomes silent and rubs his arm. Lips reaches over to pat his shoulder.

"It's family business and I didn't want you guys to be involved in it".

"Zoot, I understand that ya want your band family and your real family separate from each other, but sometimes ya gotta tell us things. You don't gotta hide anything from me or the band," Lips reassures. He pulls Zoot into a hug, patting his back. Zoot hugs back with a bit of guilt. It was true that he wanted to tell the band of his sister, but doubt and fear became a barrier and he never thought that she would ultimately need his help.

"Sorry for not telling you about her. A lot of it is me, uh, skipping the groove," Zoot apologizes, making Lips laugh. The band walks back out with their suitcases and hooks them on the top of the van.

"Hey, man, sorry for Animal throwing ya in here," Floyd says as the band climbs into the van.

"No fret, Bass Man. Now, where are we going?"

"Wherever the GPS tells us". The van drives out of the neighborhood and onto the main road. Zoot watches the trees and buildings pass by the window. Lips lays himself and the blanket against him and begins to doze off. Floyd and Janice already had earbuds in their ears, listening to some music. Animal was sticking his head out of the window, letting the wind mess up his hair. Zoot pulls Lips close and slowly dozes off.

···

Zoot wakes up in a house, specifically in the living room. It seemed very familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Uh, hello? Anyone home?" He begins to walks around, going through the kitchen and the laundry room. Eventually, he walks down the hallway where all the bedrooms are. One of the doors catches his attention. It had a nameplate hanging crooked in the middle. Printed with faded black letters is the name 'Zoltar'.

He turns the nob and opens the door to find a bedroom with plain walls and a singular bed in the corner. Next to the bed is a nightstand with a framed picture with the glass broken. It had a family of a mother, a father, and a small boy. The boy had small, yet noticeable bruises on his legs and arms and a black eye. He turns around again, now seeing the walls littered with holes, writings of distress, and a few blood splotches. Faint yelling echoed around him and the smell of alcohol and tobacco overwhelmed his senses.

"Get over here, disgrace! You're in for a _real_ beating now!"

"No! Stop! Stay away from me!" Zoot yells, covering his ears. He runs out of the room and to the room across from it. The area became calmer and a lullaby played from a wooden music box on a dresser. He opens his eyes, seeing a baby room with a cradle near the window. On top of the blankets was another picture with the same family, except a baby girl had replaced the bruised boy.

"Come over. Her name is Margret, your sister!" the mother's voice rang in the room.

"Margie... I'm sorry I left you. I wanted to stay, I did". Zoot holds the picture to his chest, sighing. A laugh suddenly echoed around him as the picture dissipated into dust. The room fades to shadows and a hand wraps around his neck. He could see the band and his sister through the darkness, all with the same scarred face. The man in the picture was holding him up by his neck, his face was unreadable. His hand tightened around his neck, making him gasp for air.

"S-Stay away from them! Take me! They don't mean shit to whatever you're g-gonna do!" he yells before being plunged under a body of water. Zoot knew that trying to swim was hopeless because something kept pulling him deeper. His lungs burned for air until he finally gave up and his vision blacked out.

···

Zoot jolts awake, sweat dripping down his face and breathing heavily. Lips was still asleep against him and the others were doing their own thing. His legs were asleep under Lips' body, trying to bring back circulation through blood vessels. They were driving in a forest as trees shielded the sun from their view.

"Hey, I see a gas station ahead, Teeth". True to his word, a station was seen on the side of the road. It looked brand new too, which was a plus. Lips groans and sits up, looking around. His hair fell over his eyes as usual and he was still holding the cold.

"I see it too, Floyd. Alright, everyone, bathroom and stretch break for everyone". Dr. Teeth parks the van in front of the gas diesel and everyone climbs out. Lips crawls off of Zoot and snuggles himself in the blanket, sleeping again. Zoot crawls over the seats and out of the van to stretch. His sleeping legs poked awake while warm rays hit his face.

"Say, Zoot, can ya tell us a bit about your sister?" Floyd asks, catching the rest of the band's attention. Even Lips, who promptly sits up, is a bit excited to hear of Zoot's sibling.

"Well, um, her name is Margret. She was born a couple of months before I left home. I'm pretty sure she's around thirty-two(32) or something. We wrote letters to each other before she got her phone and I could finally write to her back". Floyd nods and Lips leans forward.

"Does she got a job?" Lips asks.

"Last I heard, she's a professional photographer. Loves taking pictures, even as a kid. With each letter she sent, a picture was included. She promised to take a picture of us when we meet after, what, thirty(30) something years". Floyd whistles and Animal lets out a long "Wow!" before chewing on a stick.

"Oh, wow! I can't wait to, like, meet her! She sounds rully cool!" Janice chimes in. Dr. Teeth hums in agreement as he finishes fueling the van with gas.

"Does she like music?" Floyd asks, leaning close before Lips pushes him away.

"I think she's a Beatles fan". Floyd lets out a small cheer as everyone climbed back into the van. The rest of the drive was quiet again and Zoot was laying in the back seats, occasionally checking Lips' forehead. He was still burning a little, but the sleeping seemed to help.

It wasn't until the sun was long past the horizon that they came across a small motel to stay for the night. As Dr. Teeth checked them in for a room, Zoot stayed in the van, rubbing the stone. He hadn't slept a wink after the nightmare, mostly watching the trees pass and watch the sunset. The setting in his dream felt so familiar and yet, he hasn't got a single clue where he knows it from. Lips was leaning against him, staring at the sky and the stars above. Their band leader comes back with two items hanging on a ring: a keycard and a small key.

"This small key is for the bathroom, so let's be smart about our consumption of food and drinks". Dr. Teeth opens the door to their room and the rest lug some of their luggage inside. It only had two beds, a sofa, and a chair inside with the bathroom in the back. Janice and Floyd claimed one of the beds and Dr. Teeth situated himself on the sofa. Animal curled himself up on the floor, content in his spot.

"Guess we take this one then," Zoot mutters, sitting on the edge of the other bed. Lips lays himself on one side of the bed, over the covers, and stays there for a few minutes. They all change into their sleepwear and sleep under the covers, content for the night.

"You OK, Sax Man?" Lips asks, facing Zoot. Zoot nods and moves closer to him, sighing.

"If you aren't you can always tell me," Lips adds before closing his eyes and sleeping. Zoot nods again, placing his chin in his fluffy hair. Perhaps tonight would rid him of this nightmare.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Lips wakes up from the bathroom light dimly shining at his face and the coolness that replaced his lover, looking around. He isn't snuggled against Zoot and no one else seems like they moved from their position. He quietly sneaks to Dr. Teeth and shakes him awake.

"Doc? Hey, Doc, wake up". After a few shakes, the keyboardist wakes up and looks at Lips tiredly.

"Hm? What's going on?"

"Doc, where's the bathroom key?"

"Why? Do you gotta go?"

"I dunno where the Sax Man is".

"Oh, he took the key first".

"Imma go check in on him".

"Alright, but don't be doing anything you shouldn't in there," Dr. Teeth jokes tiredly. Lips shakes his head and sneaks into the small washroom. Zoot was laying in the tub, his chest shakily raising and lowering. He walks over and shakes his shoulder. Zoot looks up, tear streaks falling from his eyes.

"Sax Man? What's wrong?" He's silent, seemingly on the verge of tears once again. Lips climbs into the tub and hugs him. He almost breaks down at the touch, his breathing sounding shaky.

"C'mon, you tell me," Lips says. Zoot sniffs and hugs back as much as he can. He acted as if he would disappear from his touch, tears falling from his eyes. Minutes pass before he speaks again. 

"Lips, I'm scared... I'm scared that she's dead or in the hospital or... or-" he doesn't finish his sentence before he breaks down in his arms. Lips holds him closer and rubs his back, listening to the broken sobs. This entire ordeal was shown to have shaken him up a lot and yet he chooses to bottle it up. He's been working on telling the truth, or whatever he can correctly remember, and this set their progress back just a small bit.

"Zoot, she ain't dead nor is she in the hospital. If she were in any of those situations, we'd get a call first. I promise you, we'll save her from whatever trouble she's in". Zoot continues to cry, the sound being a bit muffled in Lips' shirt. Eventually, Animal walks in and notices the couple on the ground.

"Zoot sad?" he whispers as he crawls closer.

"Not sad, scared. About his sister".

"Oh!" Animal crawls close to Zoot and hugs his back. Zoot acknowledges the drummer with a small pat on his head. That small pat grew to petting and scratching, his sobs dying down to small whimpers. Lips thanks Animal and picks up Zoot, taking them back to bed. He wipes away the remaining tears as they lay down.

"I-I'm sorry, Lips. I just... I..."

"Don't say anything. We'll deal with it in the morning". Lips pulls the covers over them again and hugs Zoot close. Both are asleep within a few seconds. 


	18. Sibling in Trouble Part 2

**Words: 1960**

_Warning: Smoking scene_

The band set off on the road again the next morning. Zoot was silent for the most part, not even taking his hourly naps during the day. He even skipped breakfast, which Animal happily ate instead. Since he and Lips were in the very back of the van, no one else noticed his strange behavior. Lips' fever had gone down enough that he was almost considered healthy again. He noticed Zoot acting strange and managed to save half of his breakfast in case he got hungry again. He moves closer to him and puts an arm around his shoulder, rubbing it.

"Hey, man, you good?" he asks. Zoot nods slightly, staring out the window. His shades reflected the trees and mountains that pass by. The sun was rising slowly in the east, casting away shadows from the trees and slopes.

"Still shaken up from last night?"

"Yeah, how could ya tell?"

"Well," he starts, "you'd be sleeping on me at this point and ya never ate your food at the motel, the Wild Man did. I know my lover like the keys on a trumpet, you're still shaken up about this whole ordeal". Zoot's stomach growls and Lips grabs the breakfast he saved. He digs into the leftover food silently. Fear still gripped onto him, eating up every thought he had and every memory of his sister. His hands went back to the scratching positions, his left hand hovering over his right.

"Hey, hey, none of that again. We don't have gauze on us," Lips takes his hands and holds one of them in his.

"Lips, I'm still scared".

"You are? Then lay it on me".

"I don't know if she's OK. She seemed scared, even worried when I called her yesterday and... and I don't know if I can set foot inside the house when we get there. I... I'm weak, Lips. I can't... this is too much!" Lips puts down the plate of food and gently pulls Zoot into a hug.

"It's gonna be OK, Zoot. We'll get to her and help her the best we can". Zoot buries his face in Lips' shoulder, taking in his scent. That calmed his thoughts a bit, but he instinctively hugs Lips tighter for good measure.

"Now, careful there. Don't wanna suffocate me, do ya?" Lips jokingly asks, earning a chuckle from his partner. Zoot lets go of the hug and grabs the plate of food again, finishing whatever was left on it. After, he snuggles himself against Lips' side and drifts to sleep. Lips wraps his arm around him and stares out the window. The mountain formations standing behind plastic nets were beautiful, erosion of the Earth at its finest. He too was starting to doze off into dreamland and he couldn't help it.

 _A nap never hurt anyone_ he thought before closing his eyes.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The first pitstop was in a restroom area. Animal's clumsiness woke up Zoot and he sees their drummer heading straight towards the building. Lips had himself on the corner of the backseat with his blanket wrapped around him and his face pressed against the window. Listening closer, he could hear faint snoring. Zoot carefully climbs over the seats and grabs a box of cigarettes. Floyd keeps an eye on him as he walks to an empty spot and lights the end of one. A hard inhale of nicotine enters his lungs, calming him.

"Taking the good stuff?" Floyd asks, walking up to him. Zoot nods, breathing out a hazy cloud. He offers on to the bassist, but he declines.

"I'm good, man. What's been going on?" Floyd asks, checking his phone. Zoot shrugs, breathing out smoke once again. The air contorted the cloud into the face of someone with a scowl. The man he was desperately trying to forget. He throws the cigarette to the ground and stomps out the flame. Floyd, startled from the actions, watches him pick up the bud and throw it in the trash.

"Zoot-"

"What do you want?!" Zoot retorts back, catching the attention of others around them. He notices the other pairs of eyes and pulls his hat over his face, briskly walking back to the van. Once he struggled to the back seats where Lips is, he curls up at the other side and stares out of the window. Animal returns not long after with Floyd behind him. Once the band was back inside the van, they set off on the road again. Floyd looks worryingly at Zoot and moves to wake up Lips.

"Hm? What's up, Bass Man?" Lips asks groggily. The bassist motions to Zoot and he nods. He moves to Zoot and wraps the blanket around him.

"Still thinking about your sister?" he asks, concerned.

"Lips, I'm making a fool of myself. This whole thing is getting to my head and... Why did this happen!?" Zoot pulls the blanket over himself. Anything else he had to say was covered by muffles. Lips takes the end of the blanket and pulls it up so he can see his face. Zoot attempts to pull it back down but stops when he sees Lips' face.

"Zoot, how you're reacting is completely fine. You're worried and it shows how much ya care about someone. If my family were in trouble, I'd be acting the same way. All ya gotta do is _believe_ that they'll be OK". Lips takes the blanket off of him and gives him a reassuring look. Zoot smiles in response, adjusting his shades. Both gave understanding looks, not once breaking eye contact.

The moment is short-lived when the van runs over a bump in the road. Lips ends up falling forward, practically pinning Zoot to the seats. Both of their faces were very close and held blush on their cheeks. Giggling is heard and they see Janice and Floyd leaning over the back of their seats.

"How're ya doing, guys? Having a little _private jam session_ there?" Floyd asks before letting out his signature laugh. The couple glares at the two guitarists, causing them to sit forward. As Zoot was laying down under Lips, he saw that they were down in the seat enough to be practically invisible. Dr. Teeth had turned on the radio to fill us some silence. Though the song wasn't setting the mood, he could care less.

"Bass Man and his weird sayings..." Lips mutters before looking at his partner. Zoot was staring up at Lips, seemingly in a lovesick daze.

"I know that look, brother. I just had a cold a while ago, don't-" Zoot cuts him off by leaning up and catching his lips in a long kiss. On instinct, Lips instantly kisses back with the same force. A hand reaches in his fluffy hair and grabs a handful of it. Quiet moans left their lips as a tongue briefly slips in Lips' mouth. Each kiss seemed hungrier than the last, yet they stayed quiet the entire time.

"Zoot. The band could hear us, man," Lips whispers between each one.

"Music's on". They kiss again.

"Floyd and Jan-" Another kiss.

"Earbuds". Lips licks Zoot's bottom lip.

"But-" Zoot pulls away and moves to the side of his head, playfully nipping at his ear.

"Keep quiet and no one will find out," he says lowly in his ear. Lips shivers at the tone and nods before being pulled into the makeout session again. They don't know how long they've been in the zone, but it must've been a good while because Janice broke them out of their trance for food. By then, their movements were slow and calm and were as close as they could be. Zoot's shades had been discarded to the floor.

"Oh, they're a bit busy, Teeth!" Janice calls to their leader. Floyd looks at the couple and hits Lips' back. Janice gives him a look that reads 'Are you that stupid?' as Lips and Zoot separate.

"Son of a- PEPPER!" Lips exclaims. The bassist laughs as he and Lips start a small fight. Zoot opens his eyes, a bit blissed out from the kissing. He sits up and straightens his clothes and hair.

"Hey, Hey! Settle down! No lunch if you're tussling back there!" Dr. Teeth says from the front. Animal bounces in his seat, hungry for food. Lips and Floyd sit back down, slightly grumbling to themselves.

"You're gonna tease us about this, ain't ya?" Lips asks, crossing his arms over his chest. Floyd lets out a hum of uncertainty, but the trumpet player knew his friend wouldn't let him down that easily. Zoot leaned himself against the back of the seat and both men say their order. After a few moments, he realizes the presence of his shades on the floor. Lips seemed to notice it also and both grab for them. Their fingers brush past each other once Zoot grabs them first and pulls his hand away.

"Woah, sorry. Didn't know ya saw them first". Zoot slips on his shades, a bit awkward.

"It's fine, man". Silence fills the air as they wait. They acted like kids when they first have crushes. Zoot tries to find a good conversation starter to lighten the mood.

"So, do you have siblings?" he asks, rubbing his neck. Lips looks over at him and nods.

"Yeah, a brother. He's four(4) years older than me. I think he's an accountant, but don't take my word for it. Haven't seen him in years," he replies, tapping his knee with a finger. Silence again. Zoot speaks up again.

"What's his name?"

"Blair". He snickers at it, causing Lips to playfully hit his arm.

"Ain't that a girl's name?"

"Yeah, but don't say it to his face. It's one of them intersex names, really".

"Bit more on the feminine side though".

"Sounds like a female accountant name too". Lips and Zoot smile at each other before bursting out laughing. Zoot calms down and looks at Lips. The band finally receives their food, passing each meal to the desired person before getting on the road once more.

"Don't make a big mess up there, Animal!" Floyd warns the drummer. Animal nods and starts digging into his food.

"Hey, Doc! How much longer to the place?" Lips asks, taking a bite of his salad.

"Just over an hour left". Zoot takes out the stone and rubs it in his palm. Only an hour left to face his fears, to face _him_. Was he ready after all these years? He looks at Lips, then at Floyd and Janice, trailing to the good Doctor, and finally at the band's wild child. His answer was definite. He was ready and not alone. The ride was silent after they finished their food. The roadsigns became familiar for the saxophone player. Yes, he knew every turn and shortcut just by looking outside.

"This was where you lived?" Zoot nods, watching the passing buildings.

"Alright, lemme grab this. This place smells like trouble," Floyd says, taking out a metal baseball bat from under the seat. Lips was fiddling with the pocket knife he carried around, his eyelids tilted inward a little. Zoot grabs his hand and squeezes it reassuringly. That hour they had soon passes as the van drives down a familiar neighborhood through Zoot's eyes. Nothing had changed except the age that the bricks, metal, and sidewalk had.

"You ready for this?" Lips asks in a hushed tone.

"Positive".

"This is the place," Dr. Teeth announces, parking in front of a house. He gets out first followed by Animal. Floyd grabs his bat and Janice follows behind him. Lips crawls out, running a hand through his fluffy hair. Zoot gets out last with a determined look resting on his face.

"Alright, let's save my sister".


	19. Sibling in Trouble Part 3

**Words: 1823**

_Warning: Fight scene_

The house was practically rundown. It didn't look like a house, but Zoot knew that he was still in there. He leads them to the front door and walks inside. His father never remembered to lock the door. The band splits up on the main floor, the smell of alcohol and cigarettes overcoming their senses. Empty bottles littered the floor, some crushed or broken. Floyd and Janice go into the kitchen and start looking around while Animal searches the backyard. Dr. Teeth had a glance in the dining room and started his search there.

Zoot and Lips pair up and go down the hallway where the bedrooms are. Zoot was slightly shaking as memories of the past began to return. They turn into his old bedroom and look in every available hiding spot. She wasn't there. Lips takes a look around the room. The walls are bare and a few spots were broken with holes. Looking closer, there were small dried spots of blood.

"You lived here?"

"It's... home, I guess".

"Looks very... cozy". Zoot shakes his head. Just looking at the walls brought up bad memories.

"Hey, after this whole thing, we go on that date. Deal?"

"Deal. It'll be my treat". Zoot smiles at the suggestion. His happy face doesn't stay long though.

"Well, look who decided to show up," a gruff voice calls out. Zoot turns his head to the doorway, where a tall man stood. He stands his ground, looking as tough as he could, but his hand was shaking.

"Where's Margret? Where's mom?"

"Why would I tell you?" the man asks, stepping closer. Lips holds out his pocket knife, his eyelids tilted inward angrily.

"I know you have Margie here, father. Where is she?" Zoot's father walks forward again, grabbing Lips' knife out of his hand and roughly pushing Lips' head against the wall. The trumpet player goes limp before falling to the ground unconscious, leaving Zoot defenseless. Zoot's father grabs Zoot by the shirt and pulls him close.

"I should've done this from the beginning," he says, holding the blade against his throat. He's interrupted when Animal throws a drumstick at his head, growling. Dr. Teeth and Floyd were behind him, Floyd readying his metal bat. Animal bares his teeth at him, seeing his bandmate in danger.

"Why don't ya let our comrade go, Mr. Simms," Dr. Teeth suggests, slowly walking into the room. Mr. Simms presses the blade into Zoot's neck again, drawing out a small drop of blood. Floyd is the first to attack him, swinging at his arm. Mr. Simms drops Zoot and the knife on the ground. Floyd swings continuously, aiming at his stomach, head, and sides. Mr. Simms grabs the bat midswing and throws Floyd on the floor, raising the bat over his head. Animal retaliates by jumps on his back, covering his eyes. He wasn't going to let Floyd get hurt.

"Hands off Floyd!" he screams. Zoot grabs the knife on the ground and tries to swipe at his father. Mr. Simms pulls Animal off of his back and throws him at Dr. Teeth, knocking him down. He hits the knife out of Zoot's hand and growls.

"You big mistake."

"Leave him alone!" Floyd yells, punching Mr. Simms in the face. He looks up with a swollen eye and tried to punch him back when Dr. Teeth pulls his arms behind his back, holding for as long as he can.

"Let me go! You're trespassing on my property!"

"You kidnapped a woman for no reason!" Mr. Simms breaks from Dr. Teeth's hold. Animal runs to him but is knocked out and thrown at Floyd. He glares at Zoot, who cowers against the wall, before walking out and locking the door handle behind him. This was exactly like his childhood, being locked in his room with no help. Zoot couldn't take anymore and started to hit his fist against the door.

During the struggle, Lips became conscious again and crawls out of the room. Janice helps him stand and they run into the room across from Zoots. She closes and locks the door behind them, listening in on the fight.

"Who's there? Who are you?" asks a scared voice from the closet. Lips walks over and opens the door, finding a woman with medium blue hair, lighter blue skin, and a yellow-green nose. She had black eyes similar to Zoots and Mr. Simms but looked younger. A locket was around her neck and she had on a shirt, baggy jeans, and running shoes. In her hands was the sharpened end of a chair leg for defense.

"Are you Margret by chance?" he asks. The woman looks at him, surprised.

"Yes, are you two here to rescue me or torture me?" she asks, standing up. Janice opens her mouth to answer only to be cut off by someone pounding their fist on the door. Margret cowers behind Janice, knowing who is on the other side.

"We need to get outta here now," Lips says, looking at the nearby window. He charges at the glass and hits it with his shoulder. There wasn't a crack on there. He tries again as the handle on the door slowly turns. Janice starts taking steps back until the floor under them caves in. Lips and Margret fall in, but Janice manages to jump away. Both were on the floor in the basement.

"You good there, Ms. Simms?" Lips asks, slowly standing up. Margret nods and stands up, rubbing her left arm. Part of her shirt tore away, showing some scratches from the fall. She winces at it.

"Oh, here. I got ya". Lips takes out a handkerchief and wraps it tightly around the scratches.

"You must be Lips. Z has told me a lot about you," Margret points out.

"He has? That's nice-"

"Guys, get out of there quick!" Janice yells from above. She runs to the other room and unlocks the door, releasing the other band members.

"Right, talking later. Let's move". The banging on the door had stopped and the two quickly head for the exit. Upon arriving at the steps, they saw Mr. Simms at the top. Lips pulls Margret away from the steps, standing defensively in front of her. Mr. Simms blocks the exit, clenching his fist.

"Sir, why are you keeping her hostage?"

"Keep her away from being another mistake!" He charges forward and tries to punch Lips, but he dodges with Margret behind him.

"What kind of father doesn't let their kid do what they love?" Lips asks, dodging another hit. Mr. Simms doesn't listen, only focused on punching Lips. By now, it's swing after swing. Lips and Margret are dodging the hits as best they can while also moving towards the exit. In a blur, Mr. Simms' fist collides with a support beam, breaking it in half. Part of the roof above him breaks and crushes him completely.

"Oh crap! Duck!" Lips yells before dodging a falling floorboard. Margret gets hit with one as they escape. Lips pulls the board off of her just as more of the ceiling breaks over them. Cracks began to show on the floor and walls above. Janice clings to Floyd's arm as a spot falls apart at her feet. 

Floyd screams, "It's coming down!" He pulls Janice away from a nearby hole and Animal scurries towards the door.

"Follow Animal! Everyone outside now!" Dr. Teeth yells. The band runs out of the house and to the sidewalk just as it crumbles to the ground, creating a cloud of dust. Neighbors come out f their houses to see what all the ruckus was. Zoot looks around for Lips and Margret, but they weren't with them. The band didn't see them come out. They also didn't see his father. Zoot takes off his shades, trying to see if the tint had affected anything. 

It didn't change a thing.

"Oh no... No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no...!" Tears well up in his eyes and he hugs himself tightly. They couldn't be gone, he didn't even get the chance to say goodbye. He takes a step towards the wreckage, but Dr. Teeth pulls him into a hug to stop him. The whole band was devastated at their loss. Kermit isn't going to like this when they get back. Suddenly, Animal points at something coming from the wreckage.

"Lips! Lips! Lips!" he exclaims, jumping up and down. Through the dust, Zoot saw someone carrying out his sister in their arms. Dust and debris fell off his yellow hair with every step. He gently lays Margret on the sidewalk, heavily breathing. Floyd runs over and brushes dust off of him.

"Hey, man. You good?" he asks. Lips raises his head and nods, letting out a cough. His back was scratched up from the house falling on him, but other than that, he looked fine. Zoot felt like crying again, seeing both of them OK.

"Lips! Margie!" He kneels next to his sister, seeing her chest still moving. She's still alive. He inspects her arm and face as if she were an artifact. Lips comes face to face with Zoot's relieved expression.

"I got her out, Sax Man". Zoot leans over and hugs Lips, being mindful of his back. Margret's eyes slowly open, seeing Zoot's face for the first time in years.

"Z... You're here. You came back," she says quietly. Her breathing was slow from the impact. Zoot smiles and carefully hugs her.

"I couldn't leave my baby sis alone". Lips smiles at the sight, sitting across from them and checking Margret's heartbeat. To keep her awake, Zoot started to talk to her. He was stalling for time.

"You've grown a bit, Z".

"So have you. Haven't seen you since you were an infant".

"You're a musician".

"Just like I told ya. You're a photographer?"

"Yeah... Been taking a lot of pictures..."

"Hey, stay awake". 

"I'm tired, Z. I just want to nap." Her eyes droop a bit and her breathing slowed.

"Stay with me, Margie".

"The police are a block away," Floyd announces. Zoot stares at Margret, trying to keep her awake. Her chest was barely moving and Lips could feel her pulse slowing down.

"Margie? Sis, don't leave me! I-I just got you back, please! Please!" Zoot pleads as an ambulance, police cars, and fire trucks pull into the driveway and neighborhood. Doctors run out and take Margret away on a stretcher. Zoot and Lips tag along on the ambulance, leaving the rest of the band behind for questioning by the police. Lips' back had a stinging feeling, making him sit forward the entire ride. His shirt was sticking to his back from some dried blood. Zoot looks at him and sighs.

"Hey, Lips?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for saving my sis. I owe ya one". Lips looks at him and holds his hand, rubbing his thumb on the back of it.

"No sweat, Zoot". 


	20. Reunion and Recovery

**Words: 2332** ****

_Content Warning: Slightly suggestive at the end_

_Three(3) days later..._

Hospitals. Zoot's always hated them. The smell of medicines in the air, the constant feeling of death and loss around him. It all seemed so much and yet, a sense of security washed over him. Maybe it was seeing his sister awake, sitting upright in her bed, or it was Lips with bandages around his torso and his back healing up greatly. Whatever it was, hospitals didn't seem as terrifying as he saw them.

"So, let's catch up. What's been going on with you?" Margret asks, snapping Zoot out of his trance. He was dozing off again, nothing new or surprising to anyone.

"Oh, uh, I have a boyfriend-"

"His name is Lips, I know. You've told me a million times about how much you love him". Margret smiles.

"You did? That's very sweet, Zoot," Lips speaks up next to him. Zoot jumps in his seat, forgetting that his partner was with him. He had insisted on staying with the saxophone player while the band checks into a hotel nearby, saving an extra room for when they come back. Zoot wacks his arm playfully and turns back to his sister.

"So, you do photography?"

"Yeah. Mom got me a camera for my birthday and that's what got me into it". Zoot smiles at that. His mother always thought of the best for her kids and wanted them to use their talents as much as possible.

"I remember when she got me my first sax. Best Christmas present ever!" Lips gives Zoot a happy look. After everything that happened a few days ago along with some questioning from the police, it was refreshing to see him so cheerful and excited. He pats Zoot on the back.

"Hey, mom wanted me to give you this," Margret says, grabbing a box next to her. She gives it to Zoot and he opens it. Inside was a brown leather-looking bracelet. He slips it on his left wrist and holds out his arm, admiring it. But they didn't have enough to pay for this the last time he checked.

"Wow. How did..."

"Mom got a job and worked a ton of hours".

"Mother has a job?" Margret nods. His father never let his mother go out to get a job. He thought women should stay home to clean and cook. Maybe she left him and started a new life.

"We left dad when I started Kindergarten. She's working in a hotel now and is very happy!" Margret exclaims. Zoot smiles and lets out a chuckle. That was always his mother's dream job when she was young. She would always talk about it when she was tending to Zoot. It made her sad that she wasn't allowed to get a job, but she must be having the time of her life now.

"Will she come to see you?"

"Yeah, she should be here in a little bit". Zoot nods, a bit excited and nervous to see his mother after all these years. Would she even be happy to see him again? He sighs heavily, clearing his mind. He's had enough stress these past few days. He's sure that she'll be happy to see him.

"It'll be nice to meet her, man. I'll make a good first impression," Lips says, slightly rubbing his back.

"Just don't tell her that we're together instantly. I wanna break it to her gently," Zoot says. He's not sure how she'll react.

"We can do that. Right, Margret?" Lips asks. Margret nods before the handle of the door turns to the side. The three hold their breaths as the door swings open. A woman steps inside, looking concerned. She had light teal skin and blue hair tied in a braid behind her. Thin streaks of grey were littered in her hair. She looked to be in a bellhop outfit. Her eyes first laid on Margret before traveling to Zoot and stopping. That didn't look like a good reaction in the saxophone player's eyes. Her steps were cautious as she walks into the room more. No words were exchanged between the two as silence blankets the air.

"Zoltar? Is it really you?" she asks quietly. Zoot nods and stands up slowly, meeting her in the middle of the room. She was just as he remembered. A smile creeps on her lips and she wraps her arms around him in a hug. Two shaky arms return the gesture and tears well up in his eyes.

"Hi, m-mom. I'm... I'm home". Both stand in each other's embrace, making up for all the broken and forgotten promises they've made. His mother moves back and cups Zoot's face. So much had changed between both of them, they almost seemed unrecognizable to each other. Tired lines were found under his mother's eyes, similar to the ones he has.

"Look at you. You've grown so much!" Her voice is quiet, yet joyful as she studies her son's face. Tired lines show under her eyes, similar to Zoot's.

"Nice to see him again, right?" Margret asks. She smiles and walks over to her side, rubbing her back.

"You aren't hurt, are you?"

"Just a few bruises, mom. I'll be out soon though". Margret leans back into the bed a little, relaxing.

"And... your father?" Lips notices Zoot's slight discomfort and pulls him into a side hug. They hadn't heard of anything from the police yet, but they're hoping they haven't found him at all.

Zoot speaks up, "Gone, for good." His voice wavered a little just thinking about him.

"As it should be," his mother speaks up. Lips and Zoot smile at her statement, happy to be on the same page. His mother notices the bracelet on his wrist and smiles to herself.

"Oh, I'm so sorry about introductions. Hi, they call me Lips. I came here with Zoot," Lips says, holding out his hand to Zoot's mother. He was leaning forward as standing up would make his back ache a bit. She shakes it, yet holds a confused look at Zoot's name.

"My apologies, but who's Zoot?"

"Uh, that's me, mother. I-I call myself that," Zoot says, rubbing his neck. He forgot that whenever he would send letters to her, he always signed it with a cursive "Z" at the end. Just to save ink and keep his nickname a secret. Perhaps this was a good time to let things be out in the open for once.

"Should I use that name instead?"

"Call me whatever ya want, mother".

"It's very nice to meet you, Lips. I'm Abigail, Zoot's mother. Oh, I suppose you already know that though," she says with a chuckle. Lips laughs as well. They were getting along just fine and that eased up Zoot's nerves somewhat. There was just one more thing he needed to do.

"Hey, mother? Lips is, uh, more than just a friend".

"What is he then?"

"Um, he's my partner- or lover, if that gets it across clearer. Please don't be mad..." Abigail walks to him again and hugs him. Zoot hugs back, scared. Was this how she was going to disown him? Is she gonna break off all connections? Will she hate him for the rest of his life? They pull away and Abigail brushes some hair away from her son's face.

"Oh, Zoot," she starts, "I could never be mad at you. Who you love has never bothered me at all. I just want my children to be happy. Besides, I saw how uncomfortable you were with the girls your father set you up with in high school". They laugh a bit as Lips and Margret watch on. It was like watching a mother dog being reunited with her puppies.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry we can't chat more. I need to get back to work soon. I love you both!" Abigail exclaims before rushing out the door. The three wave as the door closes behind her.

"Your ma's pretty nice, Sax Man. Maybe we'll see her again". Zoot nods, leaning against Lips' side. That went fairly smooth, not at all how he imagined it going. He thought she would disregard him as her son, but he was off by a million miles.

"That's mom for you!"

"Ms. Simms?" a doctor asks, walking into the room.

"Yes, Doctor?"

"We have medicine prescribed to you for when you depart. You should be able to leave by the end of today," she says. Zoot smiles slightly at the news. All they need to know now is if his father survived the collapsing house. He would think no, but seeing Lips and Margret come out alive has him worrying.

"Hey, Z? You OK?"

"Huh?"

"Are you OK?"

"I-I... Did father make it...?" Zoot asks in a hushed voice. Lips and Margret look at each other. Neither knew the answer since the police haven't reported his body yet.

"We don't know yet, Sax Man". Zoot's body starts to shake. The unknown whereabouts of his dad was getting to him. From what Lips saw at his house, he was believing a lot of the things Zoot's said from his dreams. His father really _was_ a jerk to him as a child, his words really showing his true colors.

"What if he comes after me? What if he really kills me this time?! What if-" Lips cuts him off with a hug, hissing at his back.

"Zoot, listen to me. He ain't gonna come after ya. Even if he is alive, he'll be located miles away from us. He'll be a long ways away from you," he reassures. Zoot carefully hugs back and feels his sister's hand on his shoulder. He felt somewhat content at their actions, pulling Lips a little closer.

"Hey, let's just talk about something else for now, Z".

"That'd be a good idea".

"How about how you two started dating~"

"Margie!"

*~*~*~*~*~*

It was half past 3 when the doctors gave Margret the OK to leave and rest at home. Zoot's nerves had eased up slightly by that time. The three of them found the hotel the band was staying at and met up with Dr. Teeth and Animal. The good Doctor was holding Animal's chain in his hand.

"Greetings and salutations, you three. It's exhilarating to finally meet Ms. Simms in person," Dr. Teeth greets, shaking Margret's hand. Animal quickly bounds to Lips, halting when he's right in front of him.

"Hey, Wild Man. What's up?"

"Animal miss Lips and Zoot!"

"I bet ya did, brother". Lips gives the drummer a few good pets just as Floyd and Janice arrive at the scene. Before anyone knew it, they were talking like a family seeing a long lost relative. To avoid any more disturbance, they all head to the hotel room they received.

"Oh, wow. It's rully nice to meet you formally," Janice comments on the way.

"I do owe it to you and Lips. You were lifesavers". The band arrives in the room and situates themselves inside.

"I heard you're a Beatles fan. That true?" Floyd asks, playing it cool. Zoot could tell that he's been dying to ask her that. Margret smiles as she sits down on the couch.

"I like _A Day in the Life_ from their album".

"Cosmic, man". Lips situates himself on the arm of the couch, carefully leaning back on the cushions. Zoot joins him, finding an open spot between Lips and Margret. Almost like a reflex, Lips slings an arm around Zoot and Zoot leans against Lips.

"How about a drink to celebrate this momentous occasion?" Dr. Teeth offers. The rest of the band agrees, sans Margret who asks for a cup of water for her medicine. After a few drinks, some drunken flirting between Floyd and Janice, and a two(2) somewhat sloppy makeout sessions between Zoot and Lips, almost everyone passed out. Margret's medicine kicked in quickly. Dr. Teeth and Zoot were the only ones still awake.

"Is there any news on my father?"

"Nothing yet. We'll tell ya when there's anything though". Zoot nods, shivering at Lips' breathing on his neck. The trumpet player was lying almost on top of Zoot, his face buried in the crook of his neck.

"We still got that extra room for ya. It's down a few doors. I needa get Floyd and Janice to their room nextdoor" Dr. Teeth suggests, throwing the key to Zoot. He catches the key and nods.

"Will you watch over my sister here?"

"Cross my heart til the day I die". Zoot nods and slings Lips' arm around his shoulder. He isn't as strong, the drinks being some of the problem, so making his way to the room was somewhat challenging. Once inside, he lays Lips on the bed and sighs

"That... that is the last time I do that," he pants. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he takes a minute to catch his breath. A hand grasps his shoulder and he looks behind him. Lips was sitting upright, still somewhat drunk. His stance swayed a little and hair almost fell on his face.

"Zoot...?"

"Hm?" One pair of lips met another, beginning yet another makeout session. There was a difference with this one, it seemed more... passionate than the last two(2). A hand ran through Zoot's hair as they fell back on the bed. Lips kept him pinned to the sheets, not exactly comprehending what he was doing at first.

"Lips, wait," Zoot breaks away. Lips looks at him, slightly confused.

"W-What's wrong?"

"Are you sure we should...?" his voice trails off. What could happen tonight would probably change everything.

"Do ya wanna?"

"Are we ready?" Lips looks to the side, then back to Zoot and nods.

"I think we are..." He kisses Zoot once more, gentler than the one before. Their hands travel around each other's bodies, sending off sparks of ecstasy. Tongues danced together and kisses became needier by the second.

This was going to be a long night...


End file.
